January 22, 2025

It is well known that Rahul Gandhi, despite several political reincarnations with unexplained sabbaticals in between, has never measured up to the position his mother and the fawning party leaders have in mind for him. But it was not known till now that he has a khooni juban (a bloody tongue). By saying that Prime Minister Modi is doing “khoon ki dalali” over the surgical strikes, Rahul has shown that beneath the polished exterior lurks a man given to using language that even the most hardened criminals think twice before using. And the Congress says his remarks were taken out of context as if he is capable of having any context in his remarks!

Basically, what the Congress and Rahul Gandhi are objecting are two things: firstly, that the surgical strikes should not have been made public and secondly, that they should not be used for political gains. In a separate article, this correspondent has given precise reasons why the surgical strikes needed to be made public. The public disclosure by India has isolated Pakistan in the world community, taken the wind out of its repeated claims over Kashmir, shifted the focus of the world on cross-border terrorism in the region, created an upheaval in Pakistan over the state support for terror groups, rattled the terror groups based there and in a rare happening, the prime minister of the country has asked the army to take action against such groups. Rattling the enemy engaging in proxy war and making it suspect in the eyes of the world is valid strategy. In that sense, it is a huge victory for India and it would not have been possible if the strikes were not made public.

The Congress, in a show of complete ignorance of military strategy and a lack of understanding of what comprises a strategic strike, has said that such strikes were done in the past too but there was no “bragging” about it. Obviously there was no bragging as there was nothing to brag about. A few soldiers crossing over to silence a Pakistani border post is not surgical strike and hence it could not be made public. The Congress, in its decades of governance, never allowed the army to go after the terrorists like it was done now. Hence, it is now trying to undermine the operation by saying that it was done in the past too. If the Congress is demanding that the proof of the current surgical strikes be made public, it is displaying further ignorance about classified military strategy and playing into Pakistan’s hands. Why is it not providing proof of the so-called surgical strikes undertaken during its rule? For, there were none and there was nothing to “brag” about.

The next question is trickier. The prime minister and the home minister have displayed a huge sense of propriety by being up to the point on the surgical strikes. But the same cannot be said about the BJP and its other leaders. The prime minister has warned the party about chest thumping. What is the need to plaster the country with posters displaying Modi as Ram? The decision was taken by the government in the interests of the nation and it does not behove the party to make political gains out of it. If there was a terror threat with specific intelligence and if the Army advised for a strike, one thinks 8 out of 10 PM’s would have done the same thing. The BJP should immediately pull down the posters and ask its leaders to refrain from indulging in such dramabaazi.

But this does not take away from the highly objectionable remark by Rahul Gandhi. Every time he opens his mouth, he gives the country another reason for never choosing him as the prime minister of the country. He displays little understanding of matters of national importance and even when he does understand them, chooses such convoluted logic and objectionable words to put forth his views that if he was not a Gandhi, he would have long been deprived of the opportunities to address the nation from various platforms. Rahul Gandhi will be the sole reason why the Congress will fall to greater depths from here onwards.