The BJP on Sunday asserted that India had rewritten the rules of its engagement with Pakistan under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the ruling party hit out at the Congress and alleged the Indira Gandhi-led government released more than 90,000 prisoners of war without securing any strategic advantage after the 1971 war.
The remarks came after India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an agreement to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
The Congress on Sunday demanded answers from the government on if it had accepted third-party mediation on Kashmir after the US made announcements on behalf of India and Pakistan, pressing for convening an immediate session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and the latest developments on the cross-border firing.
Asserting that it was time to remember Indira Gandhi's leadership, the Congress also cited her actions in 1971 that led to the formation of Bangladesh when she remained undeterred by the US action of sending a nuclear-powered naval task force in the Bay of Bengal.
In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Pakistan "pleaded for an understanding" after suffering "catastrophic losses".
"In just 72 hours, under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has rewritten the rules of engagement with Pakistan," he added.
Bhandari said India called out Pakistan's "nuclear bluff" with strategic resolve, struck deep inside Pakistani military zones from Lahore to Rawalpindi, and destroyed the terror headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and Bahawalpur.
"Sent a clear message: no inch of Pakistani territory is beyond India's reach, crippled Pakistan economically by pausing the Indus Waters Treaty," he said.
India isolated Pakistan diplomatically, exposing its terror ecosystem globally, he added.
"In an era where conventional wars -- from Russia-Ukraine to US-Taliban -- have failed to achieve strategic ends, India under Prime Minister Modi has adopted 'Chanakya Neeti' -- smart, swift, and sovereign," the BJP spokesperson said.
"This is not strategic restraint. This is strategic dominance, and the fight against Pakistani terror is not over," he added.
In another post, Bhandari alleged that the Indira Gandhi-led government had signed the Simla Agreement under pressure from Moscow and Washington after the 1971 war and released more than 90,000 prisoners of war without securing a single strategic advantage.
"India released 99,000 prisoners of war without securing a single strategic advantage. No insistence on Pakistan vacating PoJK (Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir). No formalisation of the border. No reparations for the war or the refugee influx imposed on India," he charged.
Capitulation without securing India's interests is embedded in the Congress DNA, Bhandari alleged.
The BJP spokesperson also posted a clip purporting to show Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's remarks on Indira Gandhi and her decision to sign the Simla Agreement.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya also took on the Congress, saying "2025 is not 1971".
"In 1971, the local population, which is now Bangladesh, was actively resisting Pakistan, and India had strong support from the ground. That is not the case in 2025," he said in a post on X.
The Pakistani military now exerts an "even tighter grip" over its population and controls the national narrative with "near-total authority", he claimed.
"Despite these difficult conditions, India has successfully targeted terror camps and disrupted the lives of those who sponsor terrorism," Malviya said.
"Unlike in 1971, Pakistan today possesses nuclear weapons. Yet, India remains perhaps the only country to have struck deep and repeatedly within the territory of a nuclear-armed state," he added.
Jaiveer Shergill, another BJP national spokesperson said, this was an hour to clap for the Indian Armed Forces and celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor, which led to the destruction of terror camps, killing of more than 100 terrorists, and destruction of Pakistan's strategic airbases.
Operation Sindoor exposed Pakistan's nexus with the "terror industry", he said in a post on X.
"This is a win, This is a slap on Pakistan's face. This is fulfilment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise made to the nation on April 24. This is a hard hit by India. Every Indian must feel proud," Shergill said.
"Those questioning the effectivity of Operation Sindoor are the enemies within. Beware," he added.
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