Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai defended his symbolic protest of holding up a toy Rafale jet strung with lemons and chillies on Monday, triggering the BJP to say that the Opposition party was insulting India’s armed forces.
“Rafale is not a toy. I cannot bring the original Rafale here or go near it. Rafale is very strong, and the people of the country have faith in it. I have just tried to put it forward symbolically that when will the Rafale be used for action?” Rai said on Monday.
He added, “When the Defence Minister went to take delivery of Rafale, he hung lemon-chillies on Rafale. I just wanted to open his eyes and show him that the people of the country want action against terrorism. Strictest action should be taken against the terrorists, and the people giving them support should be finished..They (government) had said that Rafale is a powerful fighter jet. The nation wants to know when will the 'lemon and chilly' hanging on them be removed. When will they do their job, people want to know. Our children have been martyred (in the Pahalgam terror attack). People of India want some action.”
“I showed the facts to the nation. Congress has always stood with the government. The CWC has clearly said it supports any strong action taken by the government (in response to the Pahalgam terror attack). But we are saying — stop misleading people and take action.”
The BJP called Rai’s remarks an insult to the armed forces.
“The deplorable statements by Ajay Rai, UP Congress chief, from where Rahul Gandhi is MP, are most condemnable. Congress leaders are reprehensible, repeat offenders who are repeatedly dishonourably trying to lower the morale and resolve of our armed forces. But the Congress party’s sinister ploy will not be successful,” BJP leader C.R. Kesavan said.
"Ajay Rai has not shown a toy but played with the armed forces' morale at Pakistan's behest," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told ANI.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said: “Ajay Rai is mocking the Rafale aircraft by showing it as a toy and making fun of it with lemon and chili. I want to tell the people of the country that it is unfortunate that just one day ago, Rafale made a landing and took off over the Ganga Expressway in Eastern UP. This was a direct message to Pakistan and our country's enemies. Pakistan's army views India's army with fear, and the Congress and Indian alliance parties are looking at it with an evil eye. In reality, I want to say honestly that India's army needs to be protected from the malicious gaze of Opposition parties like Congress and the INDI Alliance."
Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar slammed Congress' record on terrorism.
“Congress leaders have always stood against the work of the government. During their term, terrorists were released, but in this government, not even a single terrorist has been released,” Rajbhar said.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said, “After Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Congress candidate from Kashi, Ajay Rai, has become the toast of the Pakistani media, speaking their language and mocking the Indian Armed Forces.”
Rai, who had earlier contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two successive Lok Sabha polls, protested with the toy aircraft in Varanasi on Sunday.
