'Trump's revelations upstaged PM's address': Congress demands answers on US claims

Donald Trump claimed that his administration stopped a "nuclear conflict" between the two countries by telling them the US would do a "lot of trade" with them.

Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emotive address to the nation on Operation Sindoor, the Congress on Monday questioned the PM on US President Donald Trump's claims, asking if the operation against Pakistan was stopped due to trade obligations. The party wondered if PM Modi had accepted American mediation on the Kashmir issue.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi was completely silent on Trump's claims. (PTI file photo)

Donald Trump claimed that his administration stopped a "nuclear conflict" between the two countries by telling them the US would do a “lot of trade” if they ended the hostilities. Trump's remark came minutes before PM Modi's address.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The prime minister, his drumbeaters, and his apologists should answer.”

"The prime minister's much-delayed address to the nation was completely upstaged by President Trump's revelations a few minutes earlier. The prime minister was completely silent on them. Has India agreed to US mediation? Has India agreed to a 'neutral site' for a dialogue with Pakistan? Will India give in to US demands for opening Indian markets in autos, agriculture, and other areas?" Ramesh asked.

Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi should chair a meeting with the leaders of all political parties.

"The months ahead will demand both painstaking diplomacy and a collective resolve. One-liners and dialogue-baazi are poor substitutes," he asserted.

"We applaud and salute our armed forces unreservedly. They have done the country proud. We are 100 per cent with them at all times. But the prime minister has still much to answer for," Ramesh added.

Pawan Khera, the Congress's media department head, said the US president's statement was "disturbing".

"We need a clarification from the government of India on whether this operation was stopped due to trade," Khera said.

"We want to know on what terms mediation was done. Why did you not respond to what Donald Trump said about Kashmir? There are several questions in the minds of the country, and there is a need for a collective resolve. There were two opportunities, and two such all-party meetings were held, but unfortunately, the prime minister did not attend," the Congress leader said.

The Congress has reiterated its demand for a special parliament session on Operation Sindoor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and blood and water cannot flow together. Underlining a shift in India’s relationship with Pakistan, he said New Delhi won’t tolerate nuclear blackmail.

With inputs from PTI