Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 18: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has categorically denied allegations suggesting that External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar admitted India had informed Pakistan in advance of Operation Sindoor. The ministry called such interpretations a “complete distortion of facts.”
In an official statement, the MEA's external publicity division clarified that Dr. Jaishankar had stated: “We had warned Pakistan at the start,” clearly referencing the early phase after the operation had already begun—not before.
“This is being deliberately misrepresented as pre-operation communication. Such a mischaracterisation of facts is being firmly rejected,” the ministry asserted.
The controversy intensified after Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, accused the Modi government of compromising national security by allegedly informing Pakistan ahead of military strikes aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure under Operation Sindoor.
Labeling it a serious breach, Gandhi demanded accountability: “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?” he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
In response, the MEA dismissed these allegations outright, reaffirming that the warning to Pakistan occurred after the operation commenced. The ministry reiterated that Jaishankar’s statement was being twisted out of context.
“The EAM clearly referred to a warning issued during the early stages of Operation Sindoor, not before it began,” the ministry emphasized, rejecting any suggestion of prior intimation.
Rahul Gandhi continued to press the issue, criticising the government’s conduct and questioning the decision-making behind the operation. The Kerala unit of the Congress party further escalated the matter by sharing a video clip of Jaishankar’s remarks, demanding an explanation from the Centre.
However, the Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit stepped in to clarify, stating: “A social media post falsely implies from External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar’s statement that India informed Pakistan before Operation Sindoor commenced. EAM has been misquoted—he did not make this statement.”
The government maintains that the claims being circulated are misleading and politically motivated, aimed at creating confusion over a sensitive national security matter.