On the day Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on India-Pakistan developments, the Congress sharpened its attack on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Rahul Gandhi renewed his criticism, demanding clarity on whether India had informed Pakistan ahead of targeting terror infrastructure during Operation Sindoor, and what Jaishankar’s remarks implied about Indian Air Force losses. At an AICC briefing, Congress media department head Pawan Khera echoed Gandhi’s charge, suggesting that Jaishankar’s admission might have allowed terrorists to escape.

However, not everyone within the Congress is fully aligned with this strategy. The party had earlier publicly declared its unequivocal support for government action against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, aiming to deny the BJP the nationalist high ground.

“EAM Jaishankar’s silence isn’t just telling — it’s damning,” Gandhi posted on social media, his second such post in three days. “How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew? This wasn’t a lapse, it was a crime.” The Ministry of External Affairs countered his earlier post as a “misrepresentation of facts.”

At Monday’s briefing, Khera went a step further, claiming Jaishankar’s comments could have tipped off terrorists. “The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister must answer how many aircraft were lost, how many terrorists escaped, and why prior intimation was given,” Khera said. Referring to the disclosure as “mukhbiri” (spying), he questioned if figures like Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed evaded capture as a result.

Some within the party, however, expressed concern that this line of attack could backfire. “Calling Jaishankar an informer is excessive,” a senior leader said. “In politics, you can press a point, but overdoing it weakens your position.”

A CWC member noted it would be more effective for Congress to highlight operational flaws, such as the intelligence gaps before the Pahalgam attack, how global reactions shifted focus from terrorism to the threat of war, and the way the ceasefire was hastily agreed upon. “These are legitimate concerns that should be raised in a calibrated way,” the leader said.

On whether the decision to label Jaishankar a “mukhbir” reflected party strategy, a CWC member added, “I don’t think so. It might have been an impromptu remark by Khera.”

Another senior leader also questioned Gandhi’s stance. “The public doesn’t expect — or even want — details about the military’s losses. We risk missing the bigger picture,” the leader said.

Sources confirmed that internal discussions last week touched upon possible IAF losses and the suspected involvement of Chinese-made weaponry used by Pakistan. While this came up in meetings, the party refrained from making these claims public. “When Jaishankar made that statement, Rahul likely saw an opening to put the government on the defensive,” a leader familiar with the discussions said.

On May 9, Jaishankar had stated that India sent a message to Pakistan at the start of the operation, clarifying that strikes were aimed at terrorist infrastructure, not the military, and offering Pakistan’s forces the option to stand down. This message was relayed by DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai to his Pakistani counterpart after the strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK between 1 and 1:30 am on May 7.

Responding to Gandhi’s first post, the MEA said: “The EAM had stated that we warned Pakistan after Op Sindoor commenced, not before. This is a willful distortion of facts.”

The BJP also pushed back. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi accused Gandhi of “disrespecting the armed forces” and misrepresenting official statements. “Despite clear IAF and MEA statements confirming no aircraft losses, Rahul Gandhi persists in peddling misinformation. Is the Congress truly committed to national interest? Their conduct suggests otherwise,” Joshi said in a post on X.