On 16 August, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is not known to share the best of equations with his former deputy, Sachin Pilot, came out in support after the Bhartiya Janata Party made allegations against his father, former Union minister Rajesh Pilot.
The BJP claimed that Rajesh Pilot was involved in the bombings over Mizoram in 1966.
Recently, during the Opposition’s motion of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied by saying that the Congress government, under the leadership of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, used air assets to bomb Mizoram in 1966.
CM Gehlot replied to this by taking to his official handle on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Congress leader Rajesh Pilot was a brave pilot of the Indian Air Force. By insulting them, the BJP is insulting the sacrifice of the Indian Air Force. The whole country should condemn this.”
The allegations were made by the BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya, on August 13, claiming that the Congress leaders Suresh Kalmadi and Rajesh Pilot were operating the IAF fighter plane, which bombed Aizawl on 5 March 1966.
Amit Malviya posted on his official social media handle saying, “Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the Indian Air Force planes that bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, on 5 March 1966. Later both became MPs on Congress tickets and ministers in the government. It is clear that Indira Gandhi gave a place in politics as a reward, and gave respect to those who carried out air raids on their own people in the Northeast.”
Denying Malviya’s claims, Sachin Pilot wrote, “You have the wrong dates, wrong facts. Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966. He was commissioned into the IAF only on 29th October 1966! (Certificate attached) Jai hind and a happy Independence Day.”