New Delhi [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya launched a sharp attack on the Congress on Wednesday, alleging that the party is functioning as the “biggest PR of Pakistan” and has forgotten the role of a “responsible opposition.”
His remarks come in the wake of a now-deleted Congress post featuring an image of a kurta-pyjama and sandals with the caption “GAYAB,” implying the Prime Minister was missing in action during a crisis. Surya slammed the post, calling it irresponsible and politically damaging.
“Unfortunately, today in India, Congress is working as the biggest PR of Pakistan. This is very unfortunate. Congress has maybe forgotten the way a responsible opposition must behave,” Surya told ANI after paying tribute to 12th-century social reformer Basavanna on his Jayanti.
He also took aim at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him and his ministers of echoing sentiments similar to those of “Pakistan’s agents.”
“Especially some ministers of Karnataka and the CM, the way they are giving statements like agents of Pakistan, the patriots of this country are finding it very unfortunate. Congress is behaving like the most irresponsible opposition the country has ever seen,” Surya said.
The controversy follows CM Siddaramaiah’s earlier remarks advocating that war should only be a “last resort.” He later clarified his stance, pointing out that the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22—where 26 tourists, including a Nepali citizen, were killed—highlighted “grave lapses” in India’s intelligence and security systems.
In a statement on X, Siddaramaiah wrote, “War should always be a nation’s last resort—never the first, nor the only option… It is now the government’s solemn responsibility to correct these shortcomings and to ensure such tragedies are not repeated.”
Siddaramaiah also voiced support for diplomatic measures such as reassessing the Indus Waters Treaty in response to Pakistan-backed terror, noting that “not all steps need to be made public.”
India has responded sternly to the Pahalgam attack, intensifying pressure on Pakistan through diplomatic and security channels.