The Congress party on Monday questioned the success of Operation Sindoor, asserting that the operation cannot be deemed a success until the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack are apprehended or neutralized. The party also criticized the Narendra Modi-led government for allowing US President Donald Trump to take the lead in announcing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, describing the move as an affront to national sentiment.
Speaking at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, Congress general secretary Bhupesh Baghel stated that the nation felt “cheated” by the manner in which the ceasefire was communicated and demanded greater transparency from the Union government.
“If Operation Sindoor achieved its objective, then why is the government reluctant to convene a special session of Parliament or call an all-party meeting?” Baghel questioned. “At Pahalgam, 26 people lost their lives, and reports indicate that four to five terrorists were involved. Have they been captured or killed? Without answers to these questions, how can we consider the operation successful?”
The Congress party reiterated its demand for a special Parliament session and emphasized that party president Mallikarjun Kharge had decided the Congress would no longer attend all-party meetings that do not involve Prime Minister Modi.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Kharge had written to the Prime Minister on May 10, urging him to discuss the terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and the ceasefire publicly announced by President Trump. They described the call as a “unanimous request of the Opposition.”
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala also expressed concern over the sudden pause in military operations. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he questioned why the government halted action when Indian forces had reportedly gained a strategic advantage over Pakistan.
“The ruling party must clarify whether a ceasefire agreement has been signed, as claimed by the US,” Surjewala wrote. “Why is the Modi government allowing the US to portray India and Pakistan on equal footing, despite Pakistan being internationally recognized as a terror state?”
He further criticized the government for failing to publicly counter Trump’s offer to mediate the Kashmir issue — a move Surjewala said violates India’s long-standing foreign policy. Trump, in a Truth Social post dated May 11, had expressed his intention to mediate between India and Pakistan, referring to Kashmir as a centuries-old conflict.
Congress leaders warned that such international remarks amounted to the “internationalisation” of India’s bilateral dispute with Pakistan, which they said was against the spirit of the 1972 Simla Agreement that explicitly bars third-party mediation.
Baghel slammed the government for not firmly rebutting Trump’s statements, accusing the Centre of playing with the nation’s emotions. He argued that the public, angered by the Pahalgam attack, expected a strong military response, even suggesting that the armed forces should have been allowed to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“The Prime Minister was reportedly giving a free hand to the armed forces. So when and why was that freedom revoked?” Baghel asked.
He further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicizing military operations for electoral gain. “While the Congress stood by the armed forces and sought national unity, the BJP was trying to capitalize politically,” Baghel said.
He recalled that under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s leadership in 1971, India had not succumbed to US pressure, successfully splitting Pakistan and asserting its sovereignty.
“Even this time, we supported the government through our Jai Hind Yatras across the country. But instead of preserving unity, the BJP chose to make it about politics,” Baghel concluded.
The Congress’s criticism comes amid rising domestic pressure on the government to clarify its strategy following the Pahalgam attack and address growing concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.
