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BJP leader Prakash Reddy on Tuesday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi either does not understand the process of information sharing between the two countries or "is intentionally trying to politicise" the issue with his remarks on remarks on the India-Pakistan ceasefire.
"Once again, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has made it clear that India did not share any information prior to the surgical strikes. This has been clarified multiple times, but unfortunately, Rahul Gandhi either does not understand how such information sharing works between two countries or is intentionally trying to politicise the issue," Reddy said Reddy's remarks came in response to Gandhi's latest comments questioning External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. On Monday, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha accused Jaishankar of staying silent on key details of Operation Sindoor, including how many aircraft the Indian Air Force lost. "The nation deserves the truth," Gandhi said. The BJP leader said, "This was clarified in a recent meeting attended by all party leaders, including those from Congress, where all MPs expressed satisfaction. Shashi Tharoor also conveyed the same to the media yesterday." Despite India and Pakistan agreeing to a cessation of hostilities, Reddy underscored that the government remains firm on key national interests -- particularly the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Praising the government's decision, he said, "The Government of India has decided to suspend the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and plans to fully utilise the water for the benefit of our farmers. Many dams have already stopped water flow to Pakistan. Yesterday, the Agriculture Minister held a meeting with farmers, confirming that the entire Indus water will now support India's development, agricultural growth, and food security." He further stated, "Terrorism, war, and religious fundamentalism in the name of religion are unacceptable. Basic amenities are the real issues the world faces today. Pakistan should understand this for its own good." Congratulating government officials, Reddy said, "I congratulate the Agriculture Minister and the Minister of Water Resources for their efforts. The Indus water will meet India's needs, and Pakistan will face severe shortages." Concluding, he said, "The actions taken by the government reflect a strong and positive stance in the nation's interest." His remarks come in the backdrop of the government's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty. The Indus system comprises the main Indus River and its key tributaries: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. While the basin is primarily shared between India and Pakistan, parts of it also extend into China and Afghanistan, making water diplomacy a significant regional issue. Under the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of three rivers, namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas ( Eastern Rivers) averaging around 33 million acre feet ( MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use. The waters of Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty. India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run of the river(RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted. To utilize the waters of the Eastern rivers which have been allocated to India for exclusive use, India has constructed Bhakra Dam on Satluj, Pong and Pandoh Dam on Beas and Thein (Ranjitsagar) on Ravi. These storage works, together with other works like Beas-Sutlej Link, Madhopur-Beas Link, Indira Gandhi Nahar Project etc has helped India utilize most of the waters of waters of Eastern rivers. (ANI)
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