Congress alleges govt forewarned Pak ahead of Operation Sindoor, calls it national security risk

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday raised serious concerns over the government’s handling of national security issues during a media briefing. Khera claimed that India had informed Pakistan before conducting strikes on terrorist sites, calling it a “grave error of judgment.”

“What is there to inform them? Do we trust terrorists to remain at those locations? Every citizen, and the whole world, has seen what EAM Jaishankar said- that Pakistan was informed we would only target terror sites. This misplaced trust puts our national security at risk”, Khera said.

He added, “After the statement of EAM Dr S Jaishankar, we are being ridiculed in Pakistan and across the world. That is why Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly asking what damage the country suffered from this forewarning. It is important to know how many planes were lost, what damage the country suffered, and how many terrorists escaped”.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “After the statement of EAM Dr S Jaishankar, we are being ridiculed in Pakistan and the whole world. That is why Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly saying that you should answer what damage the country suffered from this forewarning you… pic.twitter.com/MsbEoE1jms

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2025

Khera said the government should be clear and put the country’s safety first. He said key leaders in the national capital, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, bear responsibility for either strengthening or weakening the morale of the Indian Army.

“I am deeply saddened to say that we have witnessed a decline in the courage of our Army this time”, Khera said, criticizing the government’s silence on sensitive issues. Khera also recalled statements made last week by US President Donald Trump, who claimed to have mediated to prevent war between India and Pakistan and allegedly threatened to stop trade with India if the conflict continued. Khera described Trump’s remarks as “very dangerous”.

“There was clearly a backdoor deal regarding Operation Sindoor, yet Prime Minister Modi remained silent, and the Foreign Affairs Minister did not say a word,” he added. He questioned the BJP government’s close ties with the US and China, accusing its leaders of shielding these countries without considering the impact on India. “What secrets are Modi, Jaishankar, and other BJP ministers hiding with America and China? Why must the nation suffer because of these undisclosed agendas?” Khera asked.

He also raised concerns over justice in the Pahalgam terror attack case, questioning if the BJP government is afraid to take a stand against America and China.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. As part of the operation, Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Following the strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks. In response, India launched coordinated airstrikes that damaged key military infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. On May 10, both sides announced an understanding on the cessation of hostilities. (ANI)