Congress Urges PM Modi for Transparency After Trump Conversation

New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) – The Congress on Wednesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should convene an all-party meeting immediately upon his return from his three-nation tour. They want him to update leaders on his telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump and to take the nation into confidence.

The opposition also criticized reports suggesting that Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir would have lunch with Trump, calling it a "huge setback." They believe Modi should have communicated India’s displeasure to Trump during their conversation.

Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, suggested creating a "Pahalgam Review Committee," reminiscent of the Kargil Review Committee led by K Subrahmanyam, the father of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, soon after the Kargil War.

In an interaction with PTI, Ramesh stressed that Modi must publicly refute Trump's claims about using trade to mediate a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

Ramesh's statements surfaced after Modi's phone conversation with Trump, during which Modi asserted that India paused Operation Sindoor strikes upon Islamabad's request, not due to any US mediation or trade deal promises. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed Modi's clarity on India’s stance against third-party mediation.

President Trump's planned lunch with Gen Munir is seen as a diplomatic setback by Ramesh. He cited this and the US Central Command Chief Gen Michael Kurilla's praise of Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner" in counter-terrorism as blows to Indian diplomacy.

Ramesh criticized Trump for claiming credit for the pause in Operation Sindoor, mentioning Trump’s claim of employing trade as a negotiation tool 14 times, with no response from Modi since May 10.

He described these issues as a "triple setback," advocating for transparency from Modi about his Trump conversation in an all-party meeting. Modi's prolonged silence over Trump’s claims was highlighted by Ramesh, who emphasized the need for collective national confidence.

The Congress leader suggested that Modi should have expressed India's displeasure over the Trump-Munir lunch, invoking India's historical diplomatic assertiveness, as seen during Indira Gandhi’s era.

In an earlier post on X, Ramesh argued that Trump's repeated claims about influencing a ceasefire signified his role in ending Operation Sindoor. He further noted Field Marshal Asim Munir's lunch with Trump and questioned whether that’s why Trump left the G7 Summit early.

Ramesh also pointed out that General Kurilla’s remarks echo a troubling trend where the US seems to equate India with Pakistan, calling it a "triple jhatka" to Modi's diplomacy.

The Congress previously stated that US statements appear to equate India and Pakistan and urged Modi to set aside his “stubbornness” to call an all-party meeting and a special parliamentary session.

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