NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha launched a pointedly gendered attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, contrasting him with former PM Indira Gandhi. Speaking ahead of the Bihar polls, he compared the 1971 war situation to Operation Sindoor, saying that then PM Gandhi, “being a woman”, handled the situation with more strength “than this man”. The attack came amid US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of brokering truce between India and Pakistan”During the 1971 war in the Bangladesh struggle, America sent its aircraft and navy to intimidate and threaten India. Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister, said we are not afraid of your navy, do what you must, we will do what we must,” Rahul said, addressing a rally in Nalanda.”Indira Gandhi was a woman, but she had more guts than this man. Narendra Modi is cowardly. He has neither a vision nor the ability to stand up to the President of America. I challenge him: if Narendra Modi has the courage, then at any meeting in Bihar, he should say that the President of America is lying and that he (PM Modi) did not bow to him and that he did not stop Operation Sindoor. He cannot do that,” he added.Speaking at the APEC CEOs Luncheon in Gyeongju, South Korea, Trump claimed his intervention had averted conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year. Reacting to this, Rahul said, “The President of America has insulted Narendra Modi 50 times. Trump said – I told Modi on the phone to stop ‘Operation Sindoor’. Narendra Modi stopped ‘Operation Sindoor’ within two days. But Narendra Modi doesn’t have the guts to say, “The President of America is lying.” Narendra Modi had to meet Trump, but he’s not going to meet him out of fear; he’s sitting in hiding. Narendra Modi doesn’t have the guts.”Trump has repeatedly claimed to have mediated peace between India and Pakistan, a statement that Indian officials have consistently denied.
