Cong slams PM Modi as Trump repeats India-Pak ceasefire claim '25 times'
text_fieldsNew Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over repeated claims by United States President Donald Trump that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, questioning Modi's silence and accusing the government of hiding the truth.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament House complex, Gandhi expressed disbelief over Trump’s frequent assertions, saying, “Trump has said 25 times that ‘I got the ceasefire done.’ Who is Trump to get a ceasefire done? It is not his job. But the Prime Minister has not replied even once. That is the truth. He cannot hide.”
Questioning the government’s silence, Gandhi said, “How can the Prime Minister make a statement? What will he say – Trump got it done? He can’t say that. But that is the reality. Trump got the ceasefire done. The whole world knows it.”
He also raised broader concerns, saying, “This is not just about a ceasefire. There are serious issues concerning defence, the defence industry, and Operation Sindoor. The situation is not good, and the entire world is aware. Those who call themselves patriots have disappeared. The Prime Minister is unable to give even one statement.”
Taking a dig at the government’s stand on Operation Sindoor, he said, “On one hand, you say Operation Sindoor is ongoing, and on the other, you claim victory. Either the operation is ongoing, or victory has been achieved. Trump is now saying he halted Sindoor. He has said this 25 times. So, ‘daal mein kuch kala hai’ – something is fishy.”
Responding to a question on India’s diplomatic outreach after Operation Sindoor, Gandhi alleged that the government had “destroyed our foreign policy,” adding that “no one supported us.”
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh also criticised the Modi government, saying, “While President Trump has reached the quarter-century mark on his claims, Prime Minister Modi remains totally silent – finding time only to travel abroad and destabilise democratic institutions at home.”
Ramesh pointed out that the government has still not committed to a firm timeline for a debate on the Pahalgam-Sindoor issue in Parliament, nor has the Prime Minister agreed to participate in it.
President Trump, speaking at a reception at the White House on Tuesday, claimed again that he stopped a war between India and Pakistan. “They shot down five planes, and it was back and forth. I called them and said, ‘No more trade.’ They’re both powerful nuclear nations, and that would have escalated. I stopped it,” he said.
He added, “We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.” Trump also claimed that the U.S. had dismantled Iran’s nuclear capability and ended the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia.
Trump has repeatedly said he prevented an escalation between India and Pakistan, most notably on May 10, when he announced via social media that a ceasefire had been reached following U.S.-mediated talks. He has since reiterated the claim on numerous occasions, asserting that Washington played a key role in stopping the conflict.
Most recently, Trump said at a White House dinner for Republican senators that “five jets were shot down” during the conflict, which he described as “getting worse and worse.” He added, “These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other.”
However, India has consistently denied any third-party mediation in the matter. According to Indian officials, the ceasefire understanding was reached through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.
During a 35-minute phone call with President Trump last month, Prime Minister Modi is understood to have firmly reiterated India’s longstanding position that there would be no third-party involvement in bilateral matters with Pakistan. He reportedly conveyed that the talks between the militaries were initiated at Islamabad’s request.
India launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir through sustained drone and missile strikes. An understanding was reached on May 10 to cease hostilities after four days of intense cross-border conflict.
With PTI inputs