Fawad Chaudhry, who admitted Pakistan's hand in Pulwama attack, endorses Congress' Rahul Gandhi; sparks row

In a political landscape marked by intricate alliances and diplomatic nuances, a recent post on X by former Pakistani Minister Fawad Chaudhry has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Chaudhry, who once proudly declared Pakistan's involvement in the Pulwama attack in October 2020, has now extended support to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024. This unexpected endorsement has set tongues wagging and raised questions about the dynamics of political affiliations and allegiances.

On Wednesday, Fawad Chaudhry commented, "Rahul on fire..." in response to an X post that featured a video. The original post read, "This video is very powerful and perfectly explained by Rahul Gandhi what is happening in India. This deserves to be viral on all Social Media platforms."

It's worth noting that in October 2020, Chaudhry admitted that Pakistan was responsible for the deadly Pulwama terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 that brought the two countries to the brink of a war.

“Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success in Pulwama, is a success of this nation under the leadership of Imran Khan. You and us are all part of that success,” the then Science & Technology Minister had said in the National Assembly during a debate.

In the pre-dawn hours of February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force jets conducted airstrikes on terrorist camps belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. This operation was a response to the Pulwama terrorist attack, which resulted in the tragic loss of 40 CRPF personnel's lives.

'Is Congress planning to contest election in Pakistan?'

Chaudhry's recent post praising Rahul Gandhi has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, particularly from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP's National Information & Technology Department, said, "Ch Fawad Hussain, who served in the Imran Khan cabinet, as Minister for Information and Broadcasting, is promoting Rahul Gandhi. Is the Congress planning to contest election in Pakistan? From a manifesto, that has imprints of the Muslim league to a ringing endorsement, from across the border, Congress’s dalliance with Pakistan can’t get more obvious."

Another user on X commented, "From manifesto imprints of Muslim League to endorsements across the border, @RahulGandhi's alliance with Pakistan couldn't be more obvious. Choudhary Fawad Hussain, former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet, now promoting Rahul Gandhi! Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai?"

"Congress ecosystem has always given a clean chit to Pakistan & blames PM Modi for Pulwama. Today the same Fawad tweeted in support of Rahul Gandhi. Pakistan = Congress," wrote another irked Indian on X.

A fourth user noted, "Ch Fawad Hussain, who served in the Imran Khan cabinet, as Minister for Information and Broadcasting, is now doubling up as Rahul Gandhi’s cheerleader ! Cong party surely has given up on India and seems to be catering to this foreign audience instead."

Here's a look at some of the reactions to Fawad Chaudhry's 'Rahul on fire' post on X: