The External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is in the eye of a major political storm following a controversial video, which showed him as stating that New Delhi had alerted Islamabad regarding its intentions to strike at the terrorist camps, giving its military the option to stay out.
The Congress and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, have latched on to this utterance in order to question the logic behind making such an irresponsible and unmeasured comment while speaking about Operation Sindoor to news agencies.
The allegation is that by sounding Pakistan about the impending strikes, the minister had compromised national security and had given sufficient time to the enemy country to devise its strategy of striking back. The charge is that it was on this account that our defence forces suffered major losses which the government is attempting to conceal.
The Congress obviously believes that it has caught the BJP and its government on the wrong foot, and all these claims of patriotism and nationalism by its leaders have no basis since they are themselves responsible for mishandling the situation. While praising the armed forces for the valour exhibited by our soldiers, the grand old party sees this as an opportunity to put the saffron brigade on the mat.
On the other hand, the BJP has launched a blistering attack on the Congress accusing it of being anti-national and speaking in the same language as Pakistan. It has cited examples of an agreement signed in April 1991, when the Chandrashekhar government, which had been propped up by the Congress was on its last leg, and has also given the example of Operation Brasstacks in 1986-87.
Ironically, while there is ample scope for questioning these examples, the BJP or its allies have been unable to explain why the External Affairs Minister said what he did in the present context. Now some people within the Congress are stating that a case under the relevant sections of law should be registered against Jaishankar since there is prima facie evidence of his tipping off Pakistan which is on the camera.
The BJP in its aggressive onslaught against the Congress has put out pictures which show the faces of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Rahul Gandhi joined in order to communicate that they were speaking in a similar manner. All this is on while the seven Indian delegations have started their diplomatic outreach mission abroad.
It is indeed unnecessary to paint each other as anti-national since no one has the right to question anyone’s patriotism and nationalism merely for political gains. In fact, political parties should not be playing politics on operations carried out by defence forces, which are without doubt amongst the best in the world.
The Union government has also played politics while deciding on the names of leaders who are a part of these delegations. Normally speaking, political parties should have been asked to provide the names which should have been given a place in these delegations. Most of the members who have been selected are oblivious of both the organizational aspects of their parties, and in addition do not have a grassroots connection. Some of them are vulnerable and could join the saffron brigade at a time and date suitable to them.
There is anger within the Congress that some of the delegates were toeing the BJP line, and the views they were expressing were at variance with those of the party. However, it should not react impulsively by expelling them, and allowing them to retain their membership of Parliament.
There are also questions being raised about the need to send these delegations, since not much purpose would be served, while a lot of money may get spent on the expenses incurred on this exercise. In fact, the necessity for this diplomatic outreach is in a way admission of the utter failure of our External Affairs Ministry and our missions abroad to get world opinion on our side.
In this context, it is being stated that between April 22, when the Pahalgam attack took place and May 7, when India launched its offensive against Pakistan, our missions did precious little to present New Delhi’s view point other than reproducing press releases issued in the national capital. If this is true, then it is something which needs to be looked at without any delay. The objective of the missions is to also ensure that national interests are projected in a proper light. In sharp contrast, the Pakistanis seem to have been active during this period and thus wrested this advantage which New Delhi is attempting to neutralize through the current diplomatic outreach.
Vikram Misri, the current Foreign Secretary, many believe is amongst the best the IFS has produced, but the same cannot be said about many of his colleagues, who somehow should have risen to the occasion. Like other services and professions, there appears to be deterioration also in the standards of the IFS, once the primary outfit of our civil services.
The BJP should also understand that the Operation Sindoor and its aftermath has shown that many of its spokespersons lack the ability and knowledge, besides the sophistication to put across points which could appeal to the international media. The Opposition leaders defended the government better during the period when Operation Sindoor was at its peak.
S. Jaishankar has had a very extraordinary journey, both as a career diplomat and as the foreign minister. He could have certainly done better. Between us.
