Congress questions Centre over Trump's claim of mediating between India, Pakistan

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday called US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire a “dangerous” sign and challenged the BJP-led Centre to come clean on what transpired before the two nations reached an “understanding” while Operation Sindoor was underway.

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot made the remarks at the Jai Hind Sabha here, held in tribute to the Indian armed forces.

At the event, he also remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi and said what she did cannot be repeated.

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“The armed forces showed their valour, and barged inside Pakistan,” he said, lauding the military, but castigated the Centre for the way Operation Sindoor was stopped.

“The way it was stopped, we became a laughing matter. No country supported us. It is a failure of diplomacy. Countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan openly supported Pakistan,” he said.

Calling Trump’s interference “dangerous”, Gehlot said that the Shimla Agreement bars third-party involvement in the Kashmir issue.

“Trump is saying he mediated and got the ceasefire done. This is not a good thing. The way it happened, made people furious.

“Was there a discussion that in the future, there will be no terror havens in Pakistan? Was there a discussion that no terrorists would enter Kashmir? Was there a discussion about handing over the four terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack?” he asked.

The current situation is “weird”, he said, and criticised the Centre for not holding a Parliament session despite demands for it.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee had demanded a Parliament Session in 1962 at the the time of Indo-China war. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was then the prime minister, called the session in the middle of the war on Vajpayee’s demand,” Gehlot said and asserted that the Congress will be the key to keeping the country united in future.

“Indira Gandhi lost elections but you stood by her. There are fascists sitting in power who do not believe in democracy. It is time to work hard,” he said.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken said the party held three working committee meetings after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

“In every meeting, we passed the resolution supporting the Centre. BJP took out a tiranga yatra now, but we took out the Jai Jawan yatra a month ago. This is how Congress thinks,” he said.

Maken too raised questions on the calling off of Operation Sindoor when the armed forces, he claimed, were so close to entering Lahore.

“Our Indian armed forces were inside Pakistan and they were so close that they could have entered Lahore. Why did they come back? In the (country’s) 75 years’ history, this is the first time that a ceasefire has been imposed on us. Pakistan and America announced the ceasefire before us,” he charged.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down.

India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7 under the operation.

“We are demanding answers. There was a three-layer security in Pahalgam — military, paramilitary and police. Just like Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory and police come under the Centre.

“The attack was a three-layer failure. Who is responsible? Aren’t the Centre and home ministry responsible? It is time to ask questions,” Maken said. The former Union minister also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Kashmir in the wake of the attack.

“An all-party meeting was called but PM was absent. He was in Bihar at that time. In Pahalgam, people were martyred. They should be given the status of martyrs. PM did not get time to visit Pahalgam.

“Be it Poonch or Pahalgam, our leader Rahul Gandhi goes there. Lucknow or Karnal, Rahul Gandhi always goes to console families and wipe their tears, but our PM does not. He does not have time to wipe tears,” Maken said.

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