NEW DELHI, April 4: The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of using falsehood to “praise” Pakistan and criticise India’s stance on the West Asia conflict, and alleged that “INC now means Islamabad National Congress”.
It said some Congress leaders are also holding up a mirror to Gandhi, who has “undermined India’s position simply because he opposes the BJP”.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, in a series of posts on X, alleged that the Congress had wrongly claimed that Indian vessels such as Shivalik and Nanda Devi were not reaching the country and that India’s ties with Iran had collapsed.
“Facts: seventh tanker of India Green Sanvi crosses Hormuz for India in another big embarrassment for ‘Islamabad National Congress’,” he said, adding that India has not only secured its people in the affected region but has safeguarded its energy interests.
Poonawalla, in a video message shared on X, accused Rahul Gandhi of “continuously spreading falsehoods and politicising foreign policy”.
“Politicising foreign policy has become Rahul Gandhi’s standard operating procedure and that too based on falsehoods,” he said.
“Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of Opposition, seems to behave like a ‘Leader of Pakistan’. The same Pakistan he praises is not even in a position to stabilise its own economy. It is struggling to repay loans, and fuel is being distributed in small bottles. Iran and other countries have rejected Islamabad as a mediator,” he said.
Poonawalla accused Gandhi of prioritising “politics over national interest” and alleged that even leaders within the Congress had publicly disagreed with his statements on the issue.
“Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly undermined India’s position simply because he opposes the BJP; Every time national interest is discussed, Congress resorts to petty politics, even on foreign policy. Once again, Congress leaders themselves are holding up a mirror to Rahul Gandhi. Will he accept it?” Poonawalla said.
He cited remarks by former Union minister Ashwani Kumar backing the government’s handling of the situation, and claimed that it exposed the Congress party’s “double standards”.
“After Tharoor, Tiwari, Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma, now Ashwini Kumar holds a mirror to Rahul Baba,” he said.
INDIAN FISHERMEN STRANDED IN IRAN RETURN HOME VIA ARMENIA
A group of stranded Indian fishermen in Iran are returning home through Armenia on Saturday, the government said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in the return of the Indian nationals.
The exact number of Indian nationals in the group and the circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran are not immediately known.
“Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India,” he said on social media.
Over 1,150 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
“A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening,” a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with safety, security and welfare of Indian community being accorded the highest priority. (PTI)
