BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Wednesday claimed in the Lok Sabha that the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had requested US intervention to halt the 1971 war with Pakistan, reported news agency PTI.

Thakur argued that while Indian soldiers secured victory in the 1971 war, "someone else" was subsequently lauded as the "Iron Lady." He further stated that the war was won on the battlefield but ultimately lost at the negotiating table.

"If you dig a little deeper into history, the layers start unravelling," Thakur said during a Zero Hour mention in the Lok Sabha. "The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had written to US President Nixon. It appears as though a supplicant was pleading before the US President."