“We informed Pakistan at the beginning of the operation that we were targeting the infrastructure used by terrorists. The military is not the target of our strike. Thus, the military can choose to stand out. The External Affairs Minister stated on Thursday that they decided not to heed the wise counsel.
On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, sharply criticized External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for revealing that India had informed Pakistan about its strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure during Operation Sindoor. Gandhi called it “a crime” to notify Pakistan “at the start of our attack” and questioned how many Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft were lost as a result.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) swiftly responded, labeling Gandhi’s claims a “misrepresentation of facts.”
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Jaishankar had clarified that India sent a message to Pakistan at the onset of Operation Sindoor, stating the strikes were aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure, not military targets. He noted that India had advised Pakistan’s military to refrain from interfering, advice they did not heed. This communication occurred during a call between Director General of Military Operations Lt General Rajiv Ghai and his Pakistani counterpart, Major General Kashif Abdullah, after India struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir between 1:00 am and 1:30 am on May 7. Lt Gen Ghai emphasized that the targets were carefully selected terrorist sites and offered dialogue if Pakistan was willing.
In a post on X on Saturday, Gandhi stated, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?” The MEA countered, clarifying that Jaishankar’s statement referred to a warning issued in the early phase after the operation began, not before, and accused Gandhi of misrepresenting the timeline.
During a May 11 media briefing, Director General Air Operation Air Marshal A K Bharti, alongside Lt General Ghai and Navy’s Vice Admiral A N Pramod, declined to comment on aircraft losses, citing the ongoing combat situation. He acknowledged that losses are inherent in military operations but affirmed that the Indian military achieved all objectives, with all IAF pilots safely returning home.
