Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Monday stood firm on his controversial “nimbu-mirchi” comment about the Rafale fighter jet, reiterating his demand for decisive action against terrorism following the deadly Pahalgam attack.
Speaking to media, Rai said, “I’m just asking when Rafale will do its job.” He defended his symbolic act of presenting a toy Rafale jet decorated with lemon and chillies, stating it was meant to draw attention to the lack of response from the central government after the Pahalgam incident.
The Congress leader criticised what he called the Centre’s “big talk and no action” approach. “When the Defence Minister went to take delivery of Rafale, he hung lemon-chillies on it. I wanted to open his eyes and show him that the people of this country want action against terrorism,” Rai said, referencing a traditional Indian practice to ward off evil.
Rai accused the Modi government of failing to act against those responsible for the terror attack and alleged that Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were misleading the nation. “The families of the victims have stopped crying, but no action has been taken. The plane stands with lemon and chilli, while the government does nothing,” he added.
He emphasized that the Congress supports action against terrorism and Pakistan but accused the government of dragging its feet. Rai also referred to the 2019 Pulwama attack, questioning the lack of transparency on how RDX entered the country and who was responsible for the blast.
The remarks triggered strong backlash from BJP leaders. Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP spokesperson, accused Rai of “making headlines in Pakistan” and undermining the morale of India’s armed forces. Pradeep Bhandari echoed this sentiment, claiming, “Congress today has become the Pakistani Congress and the spokesperson of Asif Munir’s Pakistan in India.”
In a separate statement, Rai also weighed in on the Rahul Gandhi citizenship hearing in the Allahabad High Court, asserting, “Rahul Gandhi is the son of this soil. His family has sacrificed for the country—he doesn’t need a certificate from anyone.”
The controversy comes amid heightened national security tensions and increasing pressure on the government to respond decisively to cross-border terrorism.
