DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for the handling of Operation Sindoor, accusing Modi of using the military action merely to safeguard his public image. He claimed the operation ended in an “immediate surrender” after just 30 minutes of engagement.
In May, Pakistan and India fought a violent four-day conflict, resulting in more than 70 deaths, before US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The conflict had been triggered by an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in April, which killed 26 people, mostly Hindus. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a charge that Pakistan denied.
During a debate in the Indian Parliament, Gandhi lambasted the operation’s execution, focusing his criticism on Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He quoted Singh’s remarks that the operation, which reportedly began at 1:05 AM, lasted only 22 minutes. Gandhi was particularly shocked by Singh’s admission that, by 1:35 AM, India had contacted Pakistan to inform them that non-military targets were hit and that India did not want to escalate the conflict.
“The DGMO of India was instructed to request a ceasefire at 1:35 AM,” Gandhi noted, accusing the Indian government of lacking the political will to continue. He argued that this premature ceasefire amounted to a “surrender in 30 minutes.”
Gandhi also alleged that the operation was an attempt to protect Modi’s image rather than to serve any national interest. “The prime minister has the blood of the people of Pahalgam on his hands,” he said, referring to an earlier incident. “The goal was to use the Air Force to safeguard his image.”
He further criticized Modi for denying US President Trump’s claims that he had successfully mediated the ceasefire, urging the prime minister to publicly confront Trump if he believed these statements were false. Gandhi mocked Modi’s foreign policy and pointed out the lack of international condemnation of Pakistan following the events in Pahalgam, despite widespread criticism of terrorism.
The Congress leader also targeted the Indian government’s claims of deterring Pakistan. He pointed out that General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief, was having lunch with Trump while the Indian government accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism. Gandhi contrasted this with Modi’s inability to secure such high-level meetings with world leaders, calling the government’s rhetoric on terrorism hypocritical.
Moreover, Gandhi raised concerns about the government’s military stance, sarcastically referring to a statement made at the end of Operation Sindoor, in which any act of terrorism would be considered an act of war. He criticized the logic behind this, arguing that it gave terrorists the power to start wars and reversed India’s deterrence strategy.
In his closing remarks, Gandhi expressed that India needed a prime minister with the courage to take decisive military action when necessary, suggesting that the country could not afford a leader who lacked the resolve shown by past leaders like Indira Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi denied claims of third-party mediation, stating in Parliament that no foreign leader had pressured India to cease operations. Modi insisted that it was Pakistan, not India, that sought a ceasefire after feeling the “heat of our attacks.”
