Indian policymakers seem to be following an old saying: your enemy’s friend is your enemy. After finding itself alone during the recent military tension with Pakistan, India has started targeting countries that supported Islamabad, especially Turkiye and Azerbaijan.
The Adani group, which runs airports in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, has ended agreements with Çelebi, a Turkish company that handled ground services there. The airports have told Çelebi to hand over its operations immediately.
A similar decision was also made at Delhi airport. Though the change will not affect airport services, it is clear that this is a political move.
India is also pressuring Air India to cancel a leasing deal between Indigo Airlines and Turkish Airlines. These steps are seen as a reaction to Turkiye’s support for Pakistan during the conflict.
The backlash did not stop at international targets. Inside India, a BJP minister from Madhya Pradesh attacked Col Sofiya Qureshi, a Muslim army officer who played a public role in the military actions against Pakistan. He called her a “sister of terrorists.” A High Court judge later ordered an FIR against the minister, Vijay Shah.
Another BJP leader, Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, caused more outrage by saying that India’s army bows before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His words were criticised heavily, with opposition parties calling it an insult to the military.
Congress leaders such as Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot, and others called out these remarks and held protests across several cities. They accused the BJP of running a campaign to attack the dignity of the armed forces.
India’s attempt to isolate Pakistan on the global stage has backfired. Except for Israel, no major country stood by India without also recognising Pakistan. China, on the other hand, gave strong support to Pakistan.
In this diplomatic tug-of-war, India now seems to be punishing others, not on the battlefield, but through business and political messaging. In the end, it would be shooting itself in its own foot. *