Congress UP chief's 'nimbu-mirchi' remark sparks BJP outrage

Congress Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai's recent remarks about the Rafale jets have sparked a major political controversy. Rai mocked the Centre's response to the Pahalgam attack by symbolically hanging 'nimbu-mirchi' (lemon and chillies) on a toy model of the Rafale jet, suggesting that the government should act more decisively. His comments questioned why the Rafale jets, which were symbolically blessed with 'nimbu-mirchi' when brought to India, hadn't been used in response to the attack.

The BJP strongly condemned his remarks, calling them an insult to the armed forces. BJP MP Amarpal Maurya accused Congress of continually undermining the military. He stressed that the government had given full autonomy to security forces to take action against national enemies. Maurya also criticized Rai for politicizing a sensitive issue and said it was unfortunate that some people resort to low-level politics instead of standing united for national security.

Rai, however, defended his statement, saying he only highlighted the reality and demanded action against the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. He also criticized Prime Minister Modi for attending a political rally in Bihar shortly after the attack. Rai emphasized that the Congress has supported the government in its stance but insisted that real action be taken. Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad also expressed the opposition's call for a strong response to the attack.