BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday alleged that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had asked the United States to help initiate a ceasefire during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, even though India had captured 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.

He referred to a letter written by Indira Gandhi to US President Richard Nixon, where she is said to have sought assistance to bring about a ceasefire.

Dubey said the letter was dated December 5, 1971, and claimed that it showed Indira Gandhi expressing concerns about her government being at risk and asking Nixon to convince Pakistan to agree to a ceasefire. He accused the Congress of distorting historical facts.

“This is a 5 December 1971 letter written by Indira Gandhi to the American President, Richard Nixon. She wrote that our government is at risk, and India desires a ceasefire, you persuade Pakistan. Such a huge surrender, such a huge lie. The whole history of 1971 is packed in this single letter written by Indira Gandhi. When people were thinking that we could occupy our Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, when we had captured 93,000 Pakistani troops, then at that time suddenly a ceasefire took place… After seeing this history, don't you believe that Congress owned the whole media? Congress attempted to manipulate the history. What we have learned since childhood is that Nixon and Kissinger were not permitted to enter, but history is that Indira Gandhi surrendered in 1971… I have requested the Speaker to take steps to erase his speech or request him to apologise in the Parliament,” he said.

Dubey’s remarks followed Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Tuesday, in which he criticised the current government for lacking the political courage to take on Pakistan, unlike the Congress government in 1971. He compared the 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, with the recent Operation Sindoor, and said the present leadership lacked the resolve shown by Indira Gandhi’s regime.

Rahul Gandhi argued that sending the Indian Armed Forces into action required complete political will and full operational freedom—something he felt the current administration had not demonstrated.

He referred to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks made in Parliament a day earlier, where Singh had drawn a comparison between Operation Sindoor and the 1971 war.

“Yesterday, Rajnath Singh ji put comparison between the 1971 war and Operation Sindoor, and I would like to remind him, there was political will in 1971… In 1971 there was political will in India. Indira Gandhi gave Sam Manekshaw complete freedom, even when US ships sailed in,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi also quoted Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Defence Attache to Indonesia Captain Shiv Kumar to support his claim that fighter jets were lost due to limitations placed by political leaders.

He said, “Second thing he (Defence Minister) said, he informed the Pakistanis that we are not going to strike any of your military infrastructure. Interesting fact. I said freedom of manoeuvre, i.e., freedom to the air force. Captain Shiv Kumar, Defence Attache, Indonesia, says I may not agree with him that India lost so many aircraft, but I agree we did lose some aircraft, that occurred only due to the limitations provided by the political leadership to not strike the military establishments and their air defence.”

“It means - You entered Pakistan and instructed our pilots not to attack their air defence system. It means you instructed your pilots to go and attack Pakistan and deal with their air defence system. It means you tied their hands behind their back. The point is, planes were lost. It means you initiated and declared that you do not possess the political will and you will not attack military establishments, and then requested the pilots to fight. Everybody knows the outcome; you do not want to provide answers, but everybody knows the outcome,” he added.

He emphasised that the Indian Air Force was not at fault, but rather the political leadership had made critical mistakes.

“I want to tell CDS General Anil Chauhan ji, you committed no tactical error, the Indian air force committed no error, the error was committed by the political leadership that said you can't strike at the military infrastructure. The air force is not responsible at all,” Rahul Gandhi said.