Congress to hold rallies to flag PM ‘silence’ on US role in ceasefire

At the meeting, the party adopted a resolution that said “the abrupt end to India’s retaliatory action against Pakistan” had “left behind a trail of unanswered questions” and the government’s “silence on this matter is inexplicable and unacceptable”. “Successive Indian governments, cutting across party lines, have firmly maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. President Trump’s assertion, unchallenged by the Modi Government, has internationalised a matter that must remain firmly within bilateral frameworks,” it read.

The meeting was attended by top Congress Working Committee leaders, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary K C Venugopal, senior leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachin Pilot and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, among others.

Alleging “maximum silence on real issues, maximum politicisation” by PM Modi, Ramesh said the party will, in the coming days, hold rallies in various states. He said Rahul Gandhi will also hold a press conference in Delhi on Friday and express his views on the various issues.

“We will ask direct questions to the PM which are from the people. In these rallies, we will demand answers from him and ask him why he is silent… Why does the PM not take the country into confidence on what the role of America is? US President Trump has once again stated that he mediated. Why is the PM silent on this?” said Ramesh.

Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera asked if the ceasefire conditions included the clause to bring back terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. “Did you put the condition before Pakistan that these people will be handed over,” Khera said.

Slamming the Congress, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi asked it to “walk the talk” as far as extending support to the BJP-led Centre was concerned on Operation Sindoor. He said the Modi government has not used the word “ceasefire” anywhere and has clearly stated that the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) can be settled only through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.

“If you say you are with (the government), then it should reflect in your actions… I am saying this because when it is clear that Operation Sindoor is still on… Let the ‘full stop’ come; if you have any doubts even after that, or want a session of the Parliament, this can be understood. But, during the course of action, if such questions are raised, then it shows that support for the government is just the face, or the mask on that face,” he said.