BJP says Congress demoralising Indian armed forces after Ajay Rai calls for using Rafale jets 'parked with nimbu-mirch'

BJP Accuses Congress on Rafale: Accusing it of demoralising the Indian armed forces, the BJP on Monday took on the Congress after its Uttar Pradesh chief, Ajay Rai, exhibited a toy aeroplane with lemons and chillies, supposed to exemplify Rafale fighter jets kept in hangars, and questioned when India would take the next step against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

- GNS News Agency, May 9

Rai accused the BJP-led Centre of merely “talking big” and questioned when the Rafale jets, which were “sitting adorned with nimbu and mirch (to ward off the evil eye according to Hindu rituals)” would be pressed into service. “You brought the Rafale, which is parked with nimbu-mirch...I have not put the nimbu and mirch on them, the Central government did so, the Raksha Mantri has adorned them with nimbu mirchi. When will these be used, when will you wipe out terrorists and those who support terrorism?” Rai asked.

“The country wants to know this, those whose families were wiped out, whose children were martyred, their family members...want to know. This is why I have exhibited this (toy plane), to underline that it is time to use them and not to keep them parked with nimbu-mirchi,” he had added. Underlining tensions on the Line of Control, where the Pakistan Army is committing ceasefire violations on every opportunity, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused leaders from the Congress and those from its INDIA bloc allies of “continuously targeting the Indian Army through the ammunition of their statements” from within the country’s borders. Trivedi also compared the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties with Pakistan, which officially maintains that it is “peace-loving” but carries out anti-India activities.