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 12:14 PM IST
Odisha: Security up at Paradip port as ship arrives with 21 Pakistani crew members
The Odisha Police on Wednesday beefed up security at port town Paradip after the arrival of a ship with 21 Pakistani crew members on board, officials said.
The ‘MT Siren II’ with a total of 25 crew members reached Paradip port early on Wednesday from South Korea via Singapore, carrying crude oil for Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, they said.
Security arrangements have been tightened by Odisha Marine Police and the CISF after receiving information about the crew members from the Immigration Department, said Marine Police Station inspector in-charge Babita Dehuri. The Paradip port had been put on high alert in the wake of the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
The ship is anchored at ‘PM berth’, located around 20 km from the shore, and has 11,350 metric tonnes of crude on board, the officials said. “Orders have also been issued that no crew will be allowed to leave the ship during evacuation of the crude oil,” the police officer said.
- 14 May 2025 12:01 PM IST
Modi chairs first Cabinet Committee on Security meet since pause in India-Pak hostilities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday, the first since the pause in hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He is joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah in the meeting that is assessing the latest security situation.
The prime minister will also chair the meeting of the Union Cabinet after the Cabinet Committee on Security meet.
US President Donald Trump's claim of mediation between India and Pakistan in bringing about a halt in hostilities, has been rejected by India. Despite India's rebuttal, Trump again claimed that his government "brokered a historic ceasefire" between the two countries.
- 14 May 2025 11:57 AM IST
RSS calls for sanctions against Turkey over its 'unholy alliance' with Pak
RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Wednesday urged the government to impose economic sanctions, suspend civil aviation links, discourage outbound tourism and re-evaluate diplomatic engagements with Turkey due to its "unholy alliance" with Pakistan which directly compromises India's security.
The SJM also appealed to the people of India to avoid travelling to Turkey and boycott its products in solidarity with the country's soldiers and national interest.
This comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following their four-day military confrontation. The conflict saw Pakistan unleash swarms of Turkish drones to target Indian military facilities.
"It is shocking to note that Turkey, the second-largest arms supplier to Pakistan after China, has played a key role in modernising Pakistan's navy and enhancing its aerial warfare capabilities," he said.
"This defence collaboration is not just commercial; it is ideological, targeting the stability of South Asia and emboldening Pakistan's military adventurism," SJM national co-convenor Ashwini Mahajan said in a statement. The SJM strongly condemns this "unholy alliance" that directly compromises India's national security, he said.
At a time when India has exercised "tremendous restraint" in the face of repeated provocations from Pakistan, including harbouring terror camps and aggressive posturing near the Line of Control, Turkey's support amounts to "direct complicity", he added.
