Bandi Sanjay slams Rahul Gandhi over silence on hero pilot Smit Machchhar
Synopsis
Senior BJP ministers are escalating a political offensive against the Gandhi family for staying silent on Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, whose quick thinking reportedly stopped a mid-air hijacking on the Dubai-Tel Aviv route. MoS Bandi Sanjay Kumar's X post calling out Rahul Gandhi — following G. Kishan Reddy's earlier broadside naming Sonia and Priyanka too — signals a coordinated BJP push to make Congress's silence a national issue.
Key Takeaways
MoS Bandi Sanjay Kumar on 4 October 2026 attacked Rahul Gandhi via an X post for not praising Captain Smit Machchhar .
Captain Machchhar reportedly foiled an alleged hijacking on a Flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, with the aircraft landing safely in Saudi Arabia .
Kishan Reddy had earlier criticised Sonia Gandhi , Rahul Gandhi , and Priyanka Gandhi for their silence.
Bandi Sanjay labelled those who fail to acknowledge the pilot's bravery as 'dimagi Naxals and anti-nationals', borrowing PM Modi 's vocabulary.
Congress had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday, 4 October 2026, publicly criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for not acknowledging the bravery of Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who reportedly foiled an alleged hijacking attempt on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight last week. The BJP leader's broadside came via a post on X and follows similar criticism from another senior Union minister.
What Bandi Sanjay Said
In his post on X, Bandi Sanjay Kumar questioned why Rahul Gandhi had not found time to appreciate Captain Smit Machchhar. 'Rahul Gandhi has time for everything, but no time to appreciate Captain Smit Machchhar? Is even acknowledging the courage of an Indian hero now complicated by appeasement politics at the international level?' the minister wrote.
He went further, invoking the political vocabulary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi: 'Captain Smit's courage deserves appreciation from every Indian. And those who can't bring themselves to appreciate it? To borrow the political vocabulary from Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji — are dimagi Naxals and anti-nationals,' the minister added.
The Flydubai Incident
Captain Smit Machchhar reportedly prevented the Flydubai aircraft from crashing after his co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control of the cockpit mid-flight on the Dubai-Tel Aviv route. After Captain Machchhar raised an alarm, passengers reportedly entered the cockpit and helped overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers are said to have assisted in landing the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. The incident has drawn widespread attention for the Indian pilot's composure under extreme duress.
Kishan Reddy Joins the Attack
Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy had earlier levelled similar criticism at the Gandhi family, specifically naming Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi for their silence. 'It is astonishing that even the basic sense to at least recognise and congratulate this extraordinary display of courage by an Indian is lacking in Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi,' he said.
Kishan Reddy also questioned why the Congress family did not even make a social media post congratulating Captain Machchhar. 'Rahul Gandhi responds to meaningless issues and talks as if he is changing the world. Even if we ignore the fact that he doesn't speak about this spine-chilling incident, about Captain Smit Machchhar, he couldn't even make a social media post congratulating his bravery,' he said.
The minister went on to allege a pattern, saying the Nehru family historically struggles to acknowledge Indian achievements that earn global praise. 'That is why it is certain that a party like this will soon vanish politically,' he asserted.
Political Context
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to leverage the Flydubai episode as a moment of national pride, framing Congress's silence as political tone-deafness. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress party had publicly responded to these allegations at the time of reporting. This comes amid a broader pattern of the ruling party and opposition trading sharp accusations over expressions of nationalism and patriotism.
With multiple senior BJP ministers now joining the chorus, the political pressure on the Congress to respond is set to intensify in the coming days.
Point of View
Bandi Sanjay is not just criticising a rival — he is activating a pre-built ideological frame that equates silence with disloyalty. What is missing from this discourse, however, is any examination of the verified details of the Flydubai incident itself, which the source material still describes as 'alleged'. The BJP's rush to political point-scoring risks running ahead of the facts. Congress, for its part, risks ceding the narrative entirely by not responding — a familiar pattern that has repeatedly cost the party on the optics battlefield.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Captain Smit Machchhar and what did he do?
Captain Smit Machchhar is a Flydubai pilot who reportedly prevented a mid-air crisis by raising an alarm after his co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control of the aircraft on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Passengers helped overpower the co-pilot, and two off-duty Flydubai pilots assisted in landing the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
Why is Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticising Rahul Gandhi?
MoS Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised Rahul Gandhi for not publicly acknowledging or praising Captain Smit Machchhar's bravery. In a post on X, he questioned whether appreciation for an Indian hero had been complicated by what he called 'appeasement politics at the international level'.
What did G. Kishan Reddy say about the Gandhi family?
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, calling it 'astonishing' that none of them had recognised or congratulated Captain Machchhar. He alleged that the Congress party historically finds it difficult to celebrate Indian achievements that earn global praise.
Has Congress responded to the BJP's criticism?
Congress had not publicly responded to the BJP's allegations at the time of reporting. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor any senior Congress spokesperson had issued a statement on the Flydubai incident or the criticism from Bandi Sanjay Kumar or G. Kishan Reddy.
What is the political significance of this row?
The episode reflects the BJP's broader strategy of framing Congress silence on national-pride moments as evidence of ideological hostility toward India. By deploying PM Modi's 'dimagi Naxals' phrase and involving multiple senior ministers, the BJP appears to be running a coordinated campaign rather than an isolated attack.
