Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Indian government for its handling of Operation Sindoor, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of launching the military campaign against Pakistan solely to protect his image. He described the operation as ending in an "immediate surrender" after just 30 minutes of action.
Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day war in May that left more than 70 people dead before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The conflict was sparked by an April attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that left 26 dead, mostly Hindus. India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers without any evidence, a charge Islamabad denied.
During a debate in the Indian Parliament on Tuesday, Gandhi lambasted the government for the way it conducted the operation, specifically targeting Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
"Rajnath Singh said that Operation Sindoor began at 1:05 in the morning, and then he stated it lasted only 22 minutes. The most shocking revelation came when he said that at 1:35, we called Pakistan and informed them that we had hit non-military targets and that we didn't want escalation," he said, quoting the defense minister's statements.
"The DGMO of India was instructed by the government to ask for a ceasefire at 1:35 am on the night of Operation Sindoor," Gandhi added. He accused the Indian government of a lack of political will, arguing that the ceasefire request amounted to an "immediate surrender in 30 minutes."
He further asserted that the goal of the operation was to protect the prime minister's image. "The prime minister has the blood of the people of Pahalgam on his hands. The goal of the exercise was to make sure he used the Air Force to protect his image," Gandhi declared.
The Congress leader also criticised Modi for denying Trump's repeated claims that he had successfully mediated a ceasefire. "If he is lying, the prime minister should say in his speech that Donald Trump is lying. If he has the courage, like Indira Gandhi, he should say, 'Donald Trump, you are a liar,'" he demanded.
Gandhi pointed out that no country condemned Pakistan after the events in Pahalgam, despite widespread condemnation of terrorism. "All countries have condemned terrorism. Absolutely, 100% correct. But after Pahalgam, no country condemned Pakistan. Not a single country condemned Pakistan," he said.
The Congress leader also slammed the Indian government for claiming that it had deterred Pakistan, pointing out that Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir was having lunch with the president of the United States.
"Our prime minister can't go there. Has the prime minister said anything? Mr Trump is inviting General Munir to his office. While these people are running around telling the world that Pakistan is supporting terrorism, the United States is having lunch with the man responsible for Pahalgam and organizing ways to fight terrorism," he added.
Gandhi further criticised the government's stance on military collaboration, citing the Central and South Asia chiefs of defence meeting held in Pakistan, which included senior military leadership from the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
He also mocked the government's response to terrorism, sarcastically referring to a statement made at the end of Operation Sindoor that any act of terrorism would be considered an act of war. "What this statement is saying is that all a terrorist has to do is one attack, and India will be at war. You've given terrorists the power to start a war. You've turned deterrence upside down," he said.
The Congress leader also questioned the government's foreign policy, accusing it of undermining India's primary goal of keeping Pakistan and China separate. "India's biggest foreign policy challenge has been to keep Pakistan and China separate, and now China and Pakistan have fused militarily," he claimed.
In conclusion, Gandhi stressed that India cannot afford a prime minister who does not have the courage to use the military when necessary. "We need a prime minister who freezes the army, freezes the air force, and handles the situation like Indira Gandhi did," he concluded.
India's Modi denies third party mediation
Meanwhile, the Indian prime minister yet again denied that any world leader pushed India to stop fighting Pakistan during their recent conflict, after repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that he had brokered peace.
"No world leader asked us to stop the operation," Modi told parliament during the debate, though he did not name Trump in his speech. He also claimed that it was Pakistan that pleaded with India to stop fighting after feeling the "heat of our attacks".
Trump has claimed numerous times that he brokered peace between the rivals, including most recently on Monday. "If I weren't around, you'd have, right now, six major wars going on. India would be fighting with Pakistan," Trump said during his visit to Scotland.
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