NEW DELHI, OCT 2 (PTI): The BJP on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “silence” on Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar’s bravery and accused the Gandhi family and the Congress of indulging in “appeasement politics” due to what he called “religion of the terrorist” attacker.
The ruling party also said it is not a coincidence as Gandhis and several other Opposition leaders are driven by vote bank politics and behaving like “terror apologists.” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that when the entire world is saluting Machchhar, not a single word has come from the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition despite him being a public figure. “It is not a mere coincidence but a deliberate compulsion of vote bank politics,” he said.
Bhandari said Rahul and Sonia Gandhi make multiple posts on X on Gaza but not a single word has been spoken or posted for Machchhar, who saved 170 lives and who is a “Hanuman devotee,” referring to the pilot’s telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he talked about reciting Hanuman Chalisa. He alleged that it is the Gandhis’ vote bank compulsion that stops them from speaking on this issue and therefore for the sake of formality, they got a statement issued from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. He also slammed other INDIA bloc leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, for not speaking about Machchhar.
“All these terror apologists completely seal their mouths, their mouths get curdled, because they look at the vote bank and they don’t look at India’s glory, honor and respect,” he said.
Another BJP spokesperson, Gaurav Bhatia, said Modi in his conversation with Machchhar, praised his courage and wished him a speedy recovery.
“Today is a moment of pride for every Indian. Captain Smit Machchhar has displayed immense courage, and every Indian is proud of him. Today, Narendra Modi spoke to Captain Smit Machchhar, praised his extraordinary courage and wished him a speedy recovery,” Bhatia said in a video message on X. “Today, 140 crore Indians salute Captain Smit Machchhar, and we are proud of him. We pray to God for his speedy recovery,” he said.
Raising questions over the Congress leadership’s response, Bhatia said, “At a time when the entire country is feeling proud of Captain Smit Machchhar, why could Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi not issue a statement or make a post in his honour? Sonia Gandhi has also maintained silence, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has remained silent too.”
He asked whether the Congress was indulging in appeasement politics and looking at the religion of the terrorist.
“Is it because the so-called and fake Gandhi family and the Congress party are once again indulging in appeasement politics and looking at the religion of the terrorist? Is that why they did not even consider it necessary to wish Captain Smit Machchhar a speedy recovery or praise his courage?” Bhatia said.
He also asked whether Rahul Gandhi’s “Mohabbat ki Dukaan” had any place for recognising the bravery of an Indian.
Earlier in the day, Modi spoke over the phone to the pilot, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE.
Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his Omani co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday.
He gave a detailed account of the incident to the prime minister in the video call and said that whenever in difficulty, he recites the Hanuman Chalisa.
