New Delhi: The Indian National Congress on Monday raised pointed questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks, which claimed credit for halting military conflict between India and Pakistan by threatening both sides with trade sanctions.
Hours before Prime Minister Modi’s long-awaited address to the nation, President Trump declared that his intervention had led to a de-escalation between the two countries. The timing of the announcement and Modi’s complete omission of any reference to it in his speech have prompted sharp political backlash and speculation.
“Has India accepted U.S. mediation?” asked Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Has the government agreed to hold talks with Pakistan at a neutral venue? Will India now concede to American pressure to open its markets in sectors like automobiles and agriculture?”
Ramesh reiterated his demand for an all-party meeting—a request the Prime Minister has reportedly deferred for over twenty days. He emphasized the need for “robust diplomacy and collective resolve” in the coming months, warning against relying on “one-liners and rhetorical bravado.”
The controversy was further inflamed by senior Congress leader and media department chief Pawan Khera, who released a video statement condemning the Prime Minister’s silence. “The people of India are shocked. In our culture, we do not trade away the symbol of sindoor,” he said, referring to Trump’s claim that trade pressure led to the halting of ‘Operation Sindoor’—India’s recent anti-terror military action.
Khera added, “We expected the Prime Minister to issue a strong and immediate rebuttal to President Trump’s statement. But there was nothing.” He also cited Trump’s Sunday remarks where the U.S. President volunteered to mediate the Kashmir dispute—an offer India has consistently rejected in the past.
In his speech, PM Modi focused on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and terrorism, declaring that talks with Pakistan could happen only on those two subjects. “Terror and dialogue cannot go hand in hand. Blood and water cannot flow together,” he said. Referring to Operation Sindoor, Modi stated that “every terrorist and terror organization now knows the consequences of attempting to wipe the sindoor from the foreheads of our mothers and daughters.”
Despite these assertions, opposition leaders argue that key questions remain unanswered. “We fully salute and support our armed forces—they have made the nation proud,” Ramesh stated, “but the Prime Minister still owes the nation some urgent explanations.”
Congress has now demanded both an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament to discuss the implications of Trump’s remarks and India’s strategic posture. The unfolding controversy has drawn national attention to the intersection of military policy, international diplomacy, and political accountability in a volatile region.
