New Delhi – June 5, 2025, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his controversial “surrender” remark aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the ceasefire announcement after India’s military operation, codenamed Operation Sindoor.
Gandhi, while addressing a party gathering in Bhopal, alleged that Prime Minister Modi had “surrendered” after receiving a call from U.S. President Donald Trump during a period of heightened military tension between India and Pakistan. The comments ignited political uproar and drew sharp condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused Gandhi of echoing rhetoric detrimental to India’s national interest.
The fallout extended beyond Indian borders, with Pakistani media amplifying the remarks. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif went so far as to falsely claim that India had admitted to surrendering—comments that threaten to undermine India’s recent diplomatic efforts against cross-border terrorism.
In response, Rijiju expressed outrage, stating:
“There is also a limit to stupidity and opposition! There’s nobody in the Congress Party to tell him that being in the Opposition does not mean opposing the nation?”
He further endorsed former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s criticism of Gandhi, highlighting internal dissent within the opposition over leadership and strategic direction.
Meanwhile, the Congress party doubled down on its attack by sharing a digitally altered image of a "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) cap reading “Narender Surrender,” further fueling the controversy.
At the event in Bhopal, Gandhi drew historical parallels, contrasting Modi’s leadership with that of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
“A call came from Trump and Narendra ji immediately surrendered – history is witness. This is the character of BJP-RSS, they always bow down,” he said, asserting that Indira Gandhi had remained firm even in the face of pressure from the U.S. during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi responded, accusing Rahul Gandhi of lacking the maturity required of a Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
“By making extremely cheap, low-level statements, the self-styled leader of the Opposition is proving he is unfit for the seriousness the post demands,” Trivedi said.
BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya also weighed in via X (formerly Twitter):
“History will remember: From Doklam to Pahalgam, whenever India stood united to defend its sovereignty, Rahul Gandhi chose to side with forces opposed to India’s political and economic resurgence.”
Notably, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor distanced himself from Gandhi’s assertions. As a member of India’s diplomatic outreach team, Tharoor clarified that India had not sought any mediation in the conflict.
“It was Pakistan that requested India to halt operations, not the other way around,” he stated.
As political tensions escalate, the exchange underscores the intensifying rhetoric ahead of the upcoming parliamentary sessions and the increasingly contentious role of foreign policy in domestic political discourse.
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