19 hours ago
Last Updated:May 22, 2025, 18:13 IST
A political tussle broke between the BJP and Congress after Rahul Gandhi posed questions at Jaishankar claiming that he had informed Pakistan at the start of Operation Sindoor.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jasiwal briefed the press on India's current relations with Turkiye and China. (Image: PTI)
Amid the political tussle between the Congress and the BJP over the former’s claim that EAM DR S Jaishankar had informed Pakistan at the start of Operation Sindoor, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday once again clarified that Islamabad was informed about the retaliatory strikes after they were carried out in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“We told Pakistan through the DGMO that we had exercised our right to respond under Operation Sindoor, so we told them (about the attack) after the incident," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing a press briefing.
#WATCH | Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We told Pakistan through the DGMO that we had exercised our right to respond under Operation Sindoor, so we told them (about the attack) after the incident." pic.twitter.com/8ZFvFZOK8q— ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2025
What’s The Row?
A political tussle broke between the BJP and Congress after Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posed questions at External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar claiming that he had informed Pakistan at the start of Operation Sindoor.
The Lok Sabha LoP on Saturday shared an undated video of EAM Jaishankar in which he was heard saying that at the start of Operation Sindoor, a message was sent to Pakistan that only terror bases were being struck.
“At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan, saying we are striking at terrorist infrastructure and we are not striking at the military. So the military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice," Jaishankar can be heard saying in the video.
While sharing the video, Gandhi wrote, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI (government of India) did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result."
On Monday, Gandhi launched a fresh attack on EAM saying his silence on the number of aircraft India “lost" after Pakistan was “informed" about the military action under Operation Sindoor is “damning".
Centre’s Stand
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier said that a statement on the timing of Pakistan being informed was being falsely represented.
“We had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement. This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out," the MEA had said.
Operation Sindoor
India launched “precision strikes" under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes killed at least 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four close aides.
The sites targeted were the Pakistani bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi) Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian (Kasur). In the strikes, the air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha suffered extensive damage.
(With inputs from agencies)
Location : First Published:News india ‘Striked Terrorists Then Informed’: MEA Clarifies Jaishankar’s ‘Warned Pakistan’ Remark
