The Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre, calling the role played by Pakistan in facilitating the ceasefire between the United States and Iran a “severe setback” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “highly personalised diplomacy” and stating that the “self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the global community would cautiously welcome the two-week ceasefire in the West Asia conflict involving the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.
“The conflict had begun on February 28th with the targeted assassinations of the topmost echelons of the regime in Iran. These had started just two days after Prime Minister Modi had completed his much-trumpeted visit to Israel, a visit that diminished India’s global stature and standing,” Ramesh claimed.
He further criticised the Prime Minister for remaining silent on Israel’s actions. PM Modi had said nothing about Israel’s "genocide" in Gaza and its aggressively expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank, Ramesh said.
“The role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire is a severe setback to both the substance and style of Mr Modi’s highly personalised diplomacy,” he said.
Ramesh also questioned the government’s policy towards Pakistan, arguing that efforts to isolate the country had not succeeded. The policy to isolate Pakistan for its continuing support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and to convince the world that it is a failed state has clearly not succeeded – unlike what Manmohan Singh had accomplished after the Mumbai terror attacks, he claimed.
“That a bankrupt economy dependent entirely on the largesse of external donors and a broken country in so many ways was able to play such a role calls into question Modi’s strategy of engagement and narrative management,” he added.
Ramesh also referred to Operation Sindoor, he asked why the operation was 'abruptly halted'. “He (Modi) or his team has also never explained why Op Sindoor was suddenly and abruptly halted on May 10th 2025 - the first announcement of which came from the US Secretary of State and for which the US President has claimed credit almost a hundred times since then,” he said.
“There is a palpable sigh of relief everywhere. The External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) dismissed Pakistan as a dalal. But now the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed, his self-declared 56-inch chest shrunk and shrivelled,” Ramesh said.
He further alleged that the Prime Minister’s silence reflects weakness. “His cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House,” the Congress leader added.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stepped back from his earlier threats of launching massive strikes on Iran, as Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump announced the move late Tuesday (US time), less than two hours before a deadline he had set for Iran to comply with US demands or face attacks targeting critical infrastructure such as bridges and power plants.
The US President made the announcement on Truth Social, even as Democrats in the US called for his removal over what they described as extreme threats to wipe out Iranian civilisation.
"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in the post.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed that it had accepted the ceasefire and would begin negotiations with the United States in Pakistan starting Friday.
However, neither side clarified when the ceasefire would formally take effect, and reports of continued attacks emerged from Israel, Iran and parts of the Gulf region early Wednesday.
Backing the US move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel supported the ceasefire with Iran but clarified that the agreement does not extend to its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
