The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday for what it called a “silence” on the bravery of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who saved 170 lives after being attacked on a flydubai flight. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the lack of a statement from the Leader of Opposition was not accidental but a “vote‑bank” tactic, accusing the Gandhi family and the Congress of engaging in appeasement politics.
Bhandari highlighted that while Rahul and Sonia Gandhi have been active on social media about the Gaza conflict, they have not spoken about the incident that left Machchhar seriously injured. He added that the pilot’s devotion to the Hindu deity Hanuman and his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi were ignored, and that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had issued a formal statement instead of a personal tribute. Bhandari also criticized other opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, for remaining silent.
Another BJP spokesperson, Gaurav Bhatia, posted a video on X in which he praised the Prime Minister’s praise of Machchhar’s courage and urged the nation to wish the pilot a speedy recovery. Bhatia questioned why Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have not acknowledged the pilot’s bravery, suggesting that the Congress is once again focusing on the attacker’s religion rather than national pride.
Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his Omani co‑pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. He is currently receiving treatment in the United Arab Emirates and has recited the Hanuman Chalisa during his ordeal, according to a video call with the Prime Minister.
