Congress questions govt’s stillness on Trump-brokered ceasefire
Questioning the alleged stillness of the Centre over US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a ceasefire understanding brokered by his administration, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in its resolution on Wednesday regarded the government’s silence as “inexplicable and unacceptable”.
“Equally surprising was the abrupt end to India’s retaliatory action against Pakistan, which has left behind a trail of unanswered questions. The sudden halt, without clarity or communication, has led to speculation and concern across the country. Adding to this is the deeply problematic statement by the US President Donald Trump, who was the first to claim that a ceasefire was brokered with the use of trade threats and pressure on India. The Government of India’s silence on this matter is inexplicable and unacceptable.”
The Congress also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of “internalising” Kashmir saying, “successive Indian governments, cutting across party lines, have firmly maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.”
The party said it represents a “dangerous and unprecedented” hyphenation of India with Pakistan, which compromises the country’s “position and prestige”.
The party also reiterated its demand for an all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the convening of a special session of the Parliament.
“At this time of national crisis, the government must take the Opposition and the people of India into confidence. Transparency, unity, and democratic dialogue are not weaknesses, but are the bedrock of strong and effective governance. The nation deserves answers, not evasion,” the party said.
The party also accused the Prime Minister of “politicising” the operation against terror by convening a meeting exclusively with NDA CMs. “This is a blatant attempt to politicise the operation. Why has he not attended a single all-party meeting so far? At a time like this, he should have convened a meeting of all Chief Ministers, cutting across party lines,” the Congress said.
The Congress also questioned “apparent intelligence failure” in the Pahalgam terror attack, while maintaining that no accountability has been fixed.
“…the attack in Pahalgam raises deeply troubling questions about an apparent intelligence failure. Despite heightened tensions and known threats in the region, the terrorists managed to execute a major attack, claiming precious lives. While we wait for an official assessment, it is unfortunate that no accountability has yet been fixed. The terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack remain at large.”
The government must explain how such a lapse was allowed to occur and why necessary preventive measures were not taken despite clear warnings, it added.
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