New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday addressed the ongoing controversy regarding India’s Operation Sindoor, refuting Congress party’s allegations that he had informed Pakistan ahead of the military strikes. During a consultative committee meeting in Parliament, Jaishankar labeled the allegations as “dishonest” and a “misrepresentation of events,” while providing clarity on key issues raised by MPs, including concerns related to the role of the United States, the Indus Water Treaty, and the details surrounding Operation Sindoor.
According to sources present at the meeting, Jaishankar emphasized that India’s military action had successfully hit Pakistan’s morale by targeting terror infrastructure in a precise manner. Responding to questions from MPs, he also clarified that after the operation was completed, India’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) informed Pakistan’s DGMO about the action, not before it began, as was wrongly suggested by the opposition.
The controversy erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Jaishankar of publicly admitting that India had informed Pakistan about the operation in advance. Gandhi raised concerns about the potential damage caused by sharing such sensitive information, questioning how many Indian Air Force aircraft were lost due to this communication. Gandhi also referenced a video clip in which Jaishankar purportedly said, “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. The military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process.”
In response, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong rebuttal, calling the accusations an “utter misrepresentation.” A spokesperson from the MEA insisted that Jaishankar had been misquoted, and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact-checked the video, asserting that the minister did not make any such claims about informing Pakistan prior to the operation.
During the consultative committee meeting, MPs also inquired about the involvement of the United States in the operation, particularly whether there had been any mediation. Jaishankar made it clear that the US did not play any role in facilitating the operation, adding that when the US reached out, India made it clear that discussions would only take place at the DGMO level.
