'Rahul Gandhi new age Mir Jafar': BJP targets Congress leader with Nishan-e-Pakistan barb

New Delhi: Upping the ante against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the Indo-Pak conflict, the BJP on Tuesday called the Congress leader “new age Mir Jafar” and asked if he was aiming for Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award of the neighbouring country, by echoing Islamabad's narrative.

A day after Gandhi launched a fresh attack on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the BJP flayed the Congress, alleging the opposition party has undergone a “disgraceful fall” from leading India’s freedom struggle to “questioning” the country’s armed forces.

The Congress leader had on Monday said that Jaishankar’s silence over his question that how many aircrafts India "lost" after Pakistan was "informed" about the military action under Operation Sindoor was "damning".

The BJP asked why Gandhi has not asked about the planes lost by Pakistan in the Indian military strikes.

The Congress leader had earlier targeted the government, suggesting that the Indian side informed Pakistan ahead of the military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“Rahul Gandhi is the new age Mir Jafar,” BJP IT department head Amit Malviya wrote on X on Tuesday, posting a meme showing the Congress leader asking Indian Army, “How many aircraft we lost” while standing on the back of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who prods him to “ask loudly”.

It is said Mir Jafar, who served as a commander in the Bengal army under Siraj ud-Daulah, had betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey, paving the way for British rule in India.

Malviya also posted a picture on X with the blended faces of Pakistan Army chief General Syed Asim Munir and Rahul Gandhi and the caption, “One agenda”.

“It is not surprising that Rahul Gandhi is speaking the language of Pakistan and its benefactors,” he said in the post.

Gandhi has not congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a flawless Operation Sindoor, which “unmistakably” showcases India’s dominance, the BJP leader noted.

“Instead, he repeatedly asks how many jets we lost - a question that has already been addressed in the DGMO briefings. Curiously, he hasn’t once inquired about how many Pakistani jets were shot down during the conflict, or how many were destroyed while parked in their hangars when Indian forces pounded Pakistani airbases,” the BJP leader charged.

“What’s next for Rahul Gandhi? The Nishan-e-Pakistan?” he asked.

Malviya said there are multiple satellite images that confirm India’s powerful strike on terror sanctuaries deep inside Pakistan including damage to their air bases and loss of several jets and personnel.

“And what did Pakistan offer in return? Memes, doctored videos, and propaganda,” he said.

“Worse, their most reliable allies seem to be sitting right here in India - Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders, whose statements conveniently echo Pakistan’s narrative,” Malviya said, adding, “What a disgraceful fall for the Congress party—from leading India’s freedom struggle to questioning its own armed forces.” BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged Gandhi’s “consistent attempts” to undermine India’s global narrative, especially after Operation Sindoor, where the world stood firmly with India, revealed a “dangerous intent”.

“His heart beats not for Bharat, but for Pakistan. He isn’t just misguided. He’s a threat,” Bhandari charged.