The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a strong counteroffensive against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “surrendering” under foreign pressure.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey revived a decades-old letter from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to push back against Gandhi’s criticism, calling it a historical example of a true "surrender."
Dubey went to social media to post excerpts of a January 1, 1963 letter Nehru wrote to the Chinese Premier after India lost the 1962 Sino-Indian war. In the post, Dubey claimed the tone of the letter was deferential and exposed Nehru's disposition to accept defeat after losing ground and lives.
"These are the signs of surrender, Rahul Baba," Dubey posted. "This is how your grandfather dealt with China — 20,000 sq km lost in the East, 6,000 sq km in the West, and 4,000 Indian soldiers hostages."
Dubey went on to charge that Nehru had asked the Sri Lankan Prime Minister for mediation and was "waiting for China's orders."
Nehru's letter, as per the excerpts posted, read:
This fresh proposal is worse than your three-point proposal. to the extent that it attempts to bar the Indian armed forces from the whole of Indian territory involved in this new aggression. that is, more than 20,000 square kilometres in the Eastern sector and more than 6,000 square kilometres in the Western sector.
The row was triggered after Rahul Gandhi, while speaking at a rally on Tuesday, accused PM Modi of surrendering to foreign leaders. Citing a previous telephone call from then-U.S. President Donald Trump, Gandhi said, "When Trump called, Modi surrendered without hesitation." He drew a comparison with Congress's legacy, pointing to the 1971 war under Indira Gandhi when India stood up to American pressure and played a decisive role in the formation of Bangladesh.
Countering Rahul's remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress of twisting history and trying to divert attention from its own track record of strategic compromises.
"Two years ago, Rahul Gandhi traveled abroad and questioned America and Europe — who are champions of democracy — as to why they weren't intervening in India. That's what surrender is," Trivedi explained. He went on to enumerate several occasions where, in his opinion, Congress regimes sacrificed India's national interests.
The war of words indicates rising tensions between Congress and the BJP as political debate intensifies on national security, historical heritage, and foreign affairs.
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