Congress leaders have sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for their silence on repeated statements by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump claims he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—allegedly using trade threats as leverage—during heightened tensions in May 2025 (mint).
Congress senior spokesperson Jairam Ramesh highlighted the frequency of Trump’s statements: he reiterated his role in mediating the ceasefire 13 times between May 10 and June 13, and then 25 times as of late July (MoneyControl).
Opposition leaders—including Parliament Leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge—demand answers. Gandhi questioned:
“Who is Trump to broker a ceasefire? There’s something fishy… either Operation Sindoor ended or it’s still ongoing,” while Kharge labeled Trump’s claims “humiliating” and stressed that silence implies weakness (The Financial Express).
Pawan Khera criticized Modi for prioritising praise over critical debate, calling him the “Prem Chopra of rallies” and accusing him of compromising national self-respect by not rebutting Trump or clarifying India’s position on a potential third-party role in foreign diplomacy (The Times of India).
With Parliament set to begin its monsoon session, Congress and allied INDIA bloc parties are demanding:
- A special parliamentary session or all-party meeting chaired by the PM to clarify India’s foreign engagement and the Pahalgam attack inquiry
- Government transparency on whether the ceasefire was a bilateral military agreement or influenced by external pressure
- Commitment to national autonomy in diplomatic decisions (The Economic Times, The Indian Express).
India’s official stance remains that the ceasefire understanding was achieved through direct communication between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan—no external mediation was involved. Critics argue that the absence of ministerial response undermines strategic clarity and public trust (The Financial Express).
