Congress calls for a comprehensive policy dialogue post-Pahalgam

The Congress on Wednesday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having met the members of the seven parliamentary delegations that were sent abroad, will now agree to have a full debate in the monsoon session of Parliament on the country's post-Pahalgam security and foreign policy challenges.

The opposition party also asked whether the PM will at least chair a meeting or a set of meetings of leaders of all political parties and take them into confidence on India's future strategy vis-a-vis both China and Pakistan.

PM Modi on Tuesday hosted the members of the multi-party delegations, comprising parliamentarians and former diplomats, who travelled to various world capitals over the past few weeks to convey India's message on the need to eradicate the menace of terrorism following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said now that the PM has himself met with the members of the seven parliamentary delegations that had been sent to various countries, will he at least now chair a meeting or a set of meetings of leaders of all political parties and take them into confidence on India's future strategy vis-a-vis both China and Pakistan and the strategic implications of the CDS' revelations in Singapore.

His remarks were in reference to the comments made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan in Singapore recently that India rectified tactics and hit deep inside Pakistani territory after suffering losses of aircraft in the recent military clashes with Pakistan. He had also dismissed as "absolutely incorrect" Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets.

Ramesh also asked if the PM will agree to have a full debate in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament on the country's post-Pahalgam security and foreign policy challenges, since the request of the INDIA bloc parties for a special session has been most unfortunately rejected.

He further asked whether the PM will redouble efforts to bring the Pahalgam terrorists, who were reportedly involved in three earlier terror attacks in Poonch (December 2023), and Gagangir and Gulmarg (2024), to justice.

Ramesh also asked whether a group of experts like the Kargil Review Committee, which was chaired by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's father K Subrahmanyam, will be set up to analyse Operation Sindoor in detail and give its recommendations on the future of warfare, including emerging military platforms and technologies, and building national capacities for strategic communications in crisis.

"Will the report - after suitable redactions - be placed in Parliament like the report of the Kargil Review Committee was in Feb 2000?" Ramesh said.

Later, he also asked whether the prime minister will allow two full days of discussion on China and Pakistan, and give a clarification on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims about brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

The government had sent the multi-party delegations to convey a message of national unity in the fight against terrorism, with the likes of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi joining the ruling alliance members in championing the Indian cause abroad.

Prominent former parliamentarians in the delegations included ex-Union ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Salman Khurshid.

The Congress has also been urging the government to clarify Trump's ceasefire claims, and object to his hyphenation of India and Pakistan.

The government has maintained that issues between India and Pakistan will be resolved bilaterally and without any third-party intervention.