Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey unleashed a scathing attack on the Congress party and the Gandhi family on June 5, 2025, accusing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of compromising India’s sovereignty through mismanaged governance and foreign policy decisions during the 1980s.
In a post on social media platform X titled “Surrender Gandhi,” Dubey cited declassified U.S. documents from 1986 to allege that Rajiv Gandhi capitulated to American and Pakistani interests, undermining India’s strategic autonomy. The post, laced with the Hindi phrase “Know the condition of someone else’s heart from your own heart,” marks another chapter in Dubey’s relentless campaign against the Gandhi family, reviving historical grievances to challenge their legacy.
Citing Terrorism, Dubey Questions Rajiv’s Diplomatic Choices
The accusations, centred on diplomatic engagements, technological deals, and alleged foreign interference, have reignited political debate, with the Congress yet to issue a formal response.
Dubey’s post hinges on two tragic terrorist incidents to frame Rajiv Gandhi’s alleged “surrender.” The 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, which killed 329 people, was widely attributed to Sikh extremists with alleged Pakistani backing. The 1986 Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking in Karachi by the Abu Nidal Organisation claimed 22 lives.
“Why did Rajiv Gandhi shake hands with those responsible for terrorism against Indians?” Dubey implied, framing these diplomatic engagements as a betrayal under American influence
सरेंडर गांधी
अपने दिल से जानिए पराए दिल का हाल
अमेरिका के गोपनीय दस्तावेज़ों के अनुसार
1. जब एयर इंडिया का कनाडा जाने वाला विमान 1985 में पाकिस्तान के कहने पर मार गिराया गया जिसमें 329 लोगों की मौत हुई तथा 1986 में मुम्बई से अमेरिका जाने वाला विमान पैन एम करांची में पाकिस्तानी… pic.twitter.com/LjuM8kHTe1— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) June 4, 2025
Dubey questions why Rajiv Gandhi met Pakistani leaders General Zia-ul-Haq and Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo after these incidents, implying these engagements were a capitulation under American pressure.
Historical records confirm that Gandhi met Zia in December 1985 in Delhi, where they signed an agreement not to attack each other’s nuclear facilities, a precursor to the 1988 Indo-Pak nuclear agreement. Further meetings with Junejo occurred during the 1986 SAARC summit.
The declassified U.S. memorandum from October 2, 1986, authored by John M. Poindexter for U.S. Secretary of Defence Caspar Weinberger, encourages Indo-Pak dialogue to foster peace in South Asia but does not explicitly confirm American coercion. The document notes India’s reluctance to engage due to distrust, citing evidence of Pakistani collusion with Sikh dissidents in Punjab.
Dubey’s portrayal oversimplifies India’s diplomatic efforts to stabilise the region amid the Soviet-Afghan War and escalating militancy in Punjab, driven by geopolitical complexities rather than capitulation.
Did Congress Betray Shimla Agreement?
The BJP MP further alleges that Rajiv Gandhi violated the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which mandates bilateral resolution of India-Pakistan disputes, by seeking U.S. mediation in exchange for technological incentives like supercomputers and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.
The 1986 memorandum outlines U.S. support for India’s technological ambitions, including the sale of a Cray X-MP supercomputer and LCA collaboration, as means to strengthen U.S.-India ties and encourage peace with Pakistan. A declassified letter from March 25, 1987, cited by Dubey in a May 29, 2025, post on X, reveals that Gandhi proposed involving U.S. drug liaison agents in Indo-Pak narcotics talks. Reagan’s response, delivered by the U.S. Ambassador to India, states, “I was particularly interested in the proposal in your letter of January 7 that American drug liaison agents be associated with your bilateral narcotics consultations… I assure you we will be happy to assist.”
Dubey interprets this as a breach of the Shimla Agreement’s principle of excluding third parties, particularly in the context of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the letter focuses on narcotics cooperation, a transnational issue, not core bilateral disputes, and was initiated by India to address cross-border drug trafficking through Punjab. The supercomputer sale, approved in 1987 with safeguards and LCA assistance, was reportedly part of India’s modernisation drive.
Dubey also questions whether a proposed trilateral meeting involving India, Pakistan, and the U.S. on drug trafficking constituted American interference in India’s internal affairs. The 1986 memorandum notes that Pakistan’s crackdown on drug smuggling shifted routes through Punjab, fueling instability amid Sikh militancy. Gandhi’s January 1987 letter to Reagan proposed U.S. involvement in Indo-Pak narcotics talks, a move the memorandum frames as part of the U.S.’s global anti-drug campaign. It suggests a trilateral “watchdog group” to monitor progress, emphasising India’s voluntary request for U.S. expertise.
Conflating Aid and Technology?
The most inflammatory accusation in Dubey’s post suggests that India, like Pakistan, “surrendered for money like beggars.” The 1986 memorandum details a $4.02 billion U.S. aid package for Pakistan post-1987, aimed at ensuring domestic prosperity and supporting Junejo’s leadership against rivals like Benazir Bhutto. It notes that Junejo needed U.S. funds and weapons to maintain military and public support.
India’s collaboration with the U.S. focused on acquiring advanced technologies, including the Cray supercomputer and LCA development—moves seen by many as part of India’s strategic modernisation. Dubey alleged these were bribes: “India, too, surrendered for money like beggars,” he said.
Operation Blue Star in 1984
Dubey’s June 5 post is part of a broader pattern of targeting the Gandhi family with historical allegations. On June 3, 2025, he accused the Congress of compromising national sovereignty during Operation Blue Star in 1984, citing a declassified U.K. report titled “Allegations of UK Involvement in the Indian Operation at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar 1984.” The report confirms that the Indian government, under Indira Gandhi, sought limited operational advice from the U.K. in early 1984 to address armed Sikh militants in the Golden Temple. Key details include a January 30, 1984, request by the Indian Intelligence Co-ordinator, a February 8-17, 1984, visit by a U.K. military adviser, and recommendations provided to Indian authorities.
Dubey questioned why the Congress never demanded a parliamentary session to address alleged foreign involvement, writing, “Operation Blue Star of 1984, which was carried out by the Congress government led by Indira Gandhi, was done with the help of the British government. Soldiers of other countries were present… in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, despite this the opposition never clamoured for a special session of the Parliament.”
Resurrecting the Nehru-Ayub Letter
In another post, Dubey targeted Jawaharlal Nehru, sharing a declassified letter from November 15, 1962, written during the Sino-Indian War. Nehru’s letter to Pakistan’s Field Marshal Ayub Khan requested U.S. military aid while assuring Pakistan of India’s peaceful intentions, stating, “Whatever our differences may be, the disturbance to stability and peace in this sub-continent is a matter of common concern to us.”
Dubey alleges that the U.S. sharing this letter with Pakistan exposed India’s vulnerabilities, emboldening Pakistan to launch the 1965 war. He wrote, “What can be said about the person who tells the country’s weaknesses to foreigners, especially Pakistan?”
Dubey’s earlier accusations include a May 29, 2025, post citing the 1987 Reagan-Gandhi letter, alleging Rajiv Gandhi sought U.S. mediation in violation of the Shimla Agreement. This claim gained traction amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, showcasing indigenous defence capabilities like the BrahMos missile.
Dubey contrasted Congress’s alleged reliance on foreign powers with the current government’s rejection of U.S. mediation claims by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in 2025. In August 2024, Dubey accused the Congress of links to George Soros, claiming the Gandhi family colluded with foreign entities to destabilise India’s economy.
In December 2023, he alleged that Sonia Gandhi facilitated foreign funding to undermine Indian interests, citing unverified reports of Congress ties to international NGOs. In 2022, he criticised Rahul Gandhi’s leadership during the UPA government, accusing the family of economic mismanagement.
The Congress has not yet responded to Dubey’s June 5 post, but party sources suggest a rebuttal may emphasise Rajiv Gandhi’s contributions to India’s technological and diplomatic advancements, including the nuclear agreement and modernisation efforts.
The timing of Dubey’s posts, amid ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, amplifies their impact. The Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor have heightened nationalist sentiments, making historical critiques of Congress’s foreign policy particularly potent.
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