Amid the simmering tension between India and Pakistan at the LoC following the Pahalgam terror attack, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Sunday stoked a fresh controversy after he criticised the central government’s “big talk and no action” against perpetrators of the heinous act.
Last month, at least 26 people, mostly tourists, lost their lives in a dastardly terror attack which took place in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Following the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to take decisive action against terrorism and Pakistan and gave security forces “full operational freedom” to avenge the heinous attack in the Valley.
Taking a swipe at the NDA-led central government, Ajay Rai, who was PM Modi’s rival from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in last year’s Lok Sabha polls, said that the government purchased Rafale fighter jets, but those are lying in hangars with “nimbu mirchi” (lemons and chillies) hanging on them.
The UP Congress chief said that the government is displaying a toy plane with Rafale written on it and with lemon chillies hanging on it.
“Terrorist activities have increased in the country, and people are suffering from it. Our youth lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack… But this government, which talks a lot, says that they will crush terrorists – they brought Rafale, but they are in their hangars having chilli and lemon hanging in them. When will they take action against terrorists, those who support them, and their backers?” he said.
#WATCH | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai shows a ‘toy plane’ with Rafale written on it and lemon-chillies hanging in it.
Ajay Rai says, “Terrorist activities have increased in the country, and people are suffering from it. Our youth lost their lives in the… pic.twitter.com/wIwLsa4akD
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2025
Hanging ‘nimbu-mirchi’ from vehicles is believed to ward off bad luck and the evil eye. BJP leader CR Kesavan condemned the “reprehensible” action by the Congress leader, which he said was “trying to lower the morale and resolve of our armed forces”.
“The Congress Party and its leaders are being disloyal to India and our people, and the Congress leaders are deliberately trying to defame and demoralise our brave armed forces. The deplorable statements by Ajay Rai, UP Congress chief, from where Rahul Gandhi is MP, are most condemnable. Congress leaders are reprehensible, repeated offenders who are repeatedly dishonourably trying to lower the morale and resolve of our armed forces. But the Congress party’s sinister ploy will not be successful…” Kesavan said.
Reacting to Rai’s statement, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that he is making these statements at the behest of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the grand old party is toying with the morale of India’s armed forces.
“With a ‘toy plane’ of Rafale, the Congress party is toying with the morale of India’s armed forces. This is being done at the behest of Rahul Gandhi. Ajay Rai is considered one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest leaders. In the all-party meeting, Rahul Gandhi says that they stand with the country and the armed forces. As soon as he came out of the all-party meeting, prioritising ‘vote bank neeti’ over ‘rashtra neeti’, they gave a clean chit to Pakistan, advocated for it and dealt a blow to the morale of armed forces… Why is a continuous attack being made on the morale of armed forces? … The Congress party is not taking action because Pakistan ko kehna bhaijaan, sena ka karna apman, ye Congress ki bann chuki hai pehchan, Pakistan aur Congress do shareer aur bole ek hi zubaan…”
#WATCH | On UP Congress chief Ajay Rai’s statement, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, “With a ‘toy plane’ of Rafale, Congress party is toying with the morale of India’s armed forces. This is being done at the behest of Rahul Gandhi. Ajay Rai is considered one of… https://t.co/blgLpvyT34 pic.twitter.com/JLOlQMp5fp
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2025
BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari also took to his X platform to post, “Rahul Gandhi’s close aide Ajay Rai mocks our forces! Congress today has become the Pakistani Congress and the spokesperson for Asif Munir’s Pakistan in India!”
Terrorists shot and killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The central government convened an all-party meeting after the terror attack, and opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.
In the briefing to the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting held a day after the terror attack, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.