Congress leader and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and others during a party meeting at AICC office, in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 14. PTI
India-Pak conflict: Congress to take out rallies to question PM's 'silence' on Trump's ceasefire claims
A CWC resolution was adopted at the meeting which said the attack in Pahalgam raises "deeply troubling" questions about an "apparent intelligence failure"
The Congress on Wednesday (May 14) accused the BJP of "politicising" Operation Sindoor and said it would take out rallies across the country to question the Prime Minister's "silence" on US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting attended by several Congress Working Committee members and senior leaders, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh and Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the BJP was trying to make the military action a "brand" for itself when the operation belongs to the armed forces and the country.
'Jai Hind Sabhas'
The Congress announced that in the coming days, 'Jai Hind Sabhas' will be held in various states to demand answers from the government and party leader Rahul Gandhi will address a press conference here on Friday.
The Congress made the assertions after the meeting that was attended by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries Ramesh, K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Sachin Pilot, among others, at its 24, Akbar Road office here. Gandhi chaired the proceedings as Kharge was not present due to personal reasons.
A CWC resolution was adopted at the meeting which said the attack in Pahalgam raises "deeply troubling" questions about an "apparent intelligence failure".
Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 13) once again claimed that his administration "successfully brokered a historic ceasefire" by using trade as a means stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan.
"As I said in my inaugural address, my greatest hope is to be a peacemaker and to be a unifier. I don't like war. We have the greatest military, by the way, in the history of the world,” Trump said while speaking at a Saudi-US investment forum in the Saudi capital.
‘I said trade, and it all stopped’
"Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan," he claimed.
“And I used trade to a large extent to do it. And I said, ‘Fellows, come on. Let's make a deal. Let's do some trading,” Trump said to applause from the high-level audience, which included billionaire Elon Musk. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also applauded.
“Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things that you make so beautifully. And they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, good leaders, smart leaders. And it all stopped. Hopefully, it'll remain that way, but it all stopped," Trump said.
No middleman involved in truce, says India
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Indian government sources in New Delhi have been maintaining that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect. They said no third party was involved.
At a media briefing on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also seemed to reject Trump's forceful comments that Washington brokered the truce between India and Pakistan.
Jaiswal said India has a "longstanding" national position that any issue relating to it will have to be addressed by New Delhi and Islamabad bilaterally.
"That stated policy (on Jammu and Kashmir) has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan," he said.
‘Punitive action against Pak to continue’
Meanwhile, India on Tuesday said the punitive diplomatic and economic measures it announced against Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), will remain in place.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India will keep the IWT in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably" abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
He said the treaty was concluded in a spirit of goodwill and friendship, but Pakistan has held these principles in abeyance by promoting cross-border terrorism.
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- 14 May 2025 6:41 PM IST
Operation Sindoor: Congress to hold 'Tiranga Yatra' in Maharashtra
The Congress will organise a 'Tiranga Yatra' in Maharashtra on May 21, the death anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi, to mark the success of Operation Sindoor and express solidarity with all "martyrs", including Mahatma Gandhi and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also sought an explanation from the Modi government for reaching an agreement with Pakistan amid a military confrontation.
Notably, the BJP has organised Tiranga Yatras to mark the success of Operation Sindoor.
Sapkal wondered whether US President Donald Trump is officially mediating between India and Pakistan.
"Indian soldiers performed a glorious act of bravery in Operation Sindoor. To salute their courage and express solidarity with all martyrs, from Mahatma Gandhi to those killed in the Pahalgam attack, Congress will organise a Tiranga Yatra across all districts of Maharashtra on May 21," Sapkal told reporters.
He reiterated the Congress' demand to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss events after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian armed forces against terrorists.
Sapkal said the sudden decision to initiate a "ceasefire" when Indian armed forces were dealing a blow to Pakistan has raised several questions.
"While our soldiers were fighting valiantly, how did US President Donald Trump announce the ceasefire? Is America mediating between India and Pakistan? If so, has the Shimla Agreement been revoked?" he asked.
- 14 May 2025 6:39 PM IST
Operation Sindoor: Bollywood star Ajay Devgn lauds armed forces
Bollywood star Ajay Devgn on Wednesday commended the Indian armed forces for the bravery they showed during Operation Sindoor, while emphasising that war is never desirable.
The actor was speaking at the Hindi trailer launch of the Hollywood film "Karate Kid: Legends" here.
Asked how he felt about the bravery of the armed forces during Operation Sindoor, Devgn told reporters: "Nobody wants war. But when there's no choice left, there's no choice left. I salute the armed forces, the prime minister, and the government. They did great." India carried out targeted strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last week under Operation Sindoor in retaliation of the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
- 14 May 2025 6:35 PM IST
Indo-Pak conflict: Two Pak soldiers succumb to injuries
Two more Pakistani soldiers have succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll of military personnel during the recent confrontation with India to 13, the army said on Wednesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army, two more soldiers succumbed to injuries sustained during the Indian attacks.
With their deaths, the number of military personnel killed during the confrontation with India has increased to 13, it said in a statement.
It identified the deceased soldiers as Havaldar Muhammad Naveed of the Pakistan Army and Senior Technician Muhammad Ayaz of the Pakistan Air Force.
“Their sacrifice will forever remain etched in the nation’s collective memory, inspiring generations to come,” the military said.
On Tuesday, the army said that 11 military personnel were killed and 78 had sustained injuries in the line of duty.
Last week, India carried out precision strikes under 'Operation Sindoor' on terror infrastructure in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
- 14 May 2025 6:26 PM IST
Pak military operation against India supervised by Ex PM Nawaz Sharif
The military operation against India was "designed" under the supervision of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, claimed a provincial minister on Wednesday.
Nawaz, the former three-time premier and elder brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had congratulated Pakistan's civil and military leadership soon after the two countries reached an understanding on Saturday to end the conflict.
"The whole operation against India was designed under the supervision of former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif," Pakistan's Punjab province Information Minister Azma Bukhari claimed.
She said Nawaz is not a leader of "a, b, c, d type", rather his work speaks for himself.
"It was Nawaz Sharif who made Pakistan a nuclear power and now designed the whole operation against India," the minister claimed.
If the claim by Bukhari is true, then it is reflective of Nawaz's influence over the civil as well as military leadership of the country.
Interestingly, Nawaz attended a high-level meeting at the PM House convened to assess the Indo-Pak tensions on May 8. The meeting was called a day after India hit nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Since Nawaz holds no government portfolio, he attended the meeting in the capacity of the head of the ruling party government, the Express Tribune had reported.
In the meeting, the elder Sharif pitched for utilising all available diplomatic resources to restore peace with India, the report said.
"I am not in favour of taking an aggressive position (against India),” Nawaz was quoted as saying.
- 14 May 2025 5:37 PM IST
MP HC orders FIR against minister for controversial remarks against Col Sofia Qureshi
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against state minister Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks targeted at Colonel Sofia Qureshi.
Colonel Qureshi had conducted regular press briefings, sharing details of the 'Operation Sindoor' launched by Indian armed forces to strike terrorists, joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh Shah, the tribal affairs minister and BJP leader, sparked a major controversy with objectionable comments that appeared to be directed at Colonel Qureshi, whom he tried to project as a "sister of terrorists".
Taking suo motu cognisance of the controversial statement, the high court's division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla ordered the police to register a first information report (FIR) against the minister.
The court directed the police department to file the FIR by 6 pm on Wednesday.
The division bench said the court should be informed about the registration of the FIR.
The next hearing on the petition has been scheduled at 10.30 am on Thursday.
