Op Sindoor debate: Oppn comes down heavily on Centre for ‘agreeing’ to India-Pak ceasefire

The Opposition on Monday came down heavily on the government for ”agreeing” to a ceasefire in the battle against Pakistan when India had an upper hand, and wondered why it has not given a concrete response to US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered the cessation of hostilities between the two South Asian neighbours.

Participating in a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on India’s strong, successful and decisive ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to terrorist attack in Pahalgam’, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the government has not informed the House how terrorists infiltrated into the Baisaran valley, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah must be held accountable for the lapses.

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“More than 100 days have passed since the ghastly terror attack, but the government has utterly failed in nabbing them and bringing them to justice,” the Congress MP said.

“The Defence Minister spoke a lot but didn’t answer how terrorists reached Pahalgam and managed to massacre 26 people,” he said.

During the special discussion, the Congress MP asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the number of fighter jets India lost in the conflict with Pakistan, saying that soldiers should also get a true picture.

“We want to know from Rajnath Singh ji today how many of our fighter jets were downed. We have to tell this not just to the public but also to our jawans, as they are being lied to as well,” Gogoi said.

The Congress MP also hit out at the Centre over US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor and asked if Islamabad was ready to kneel down, “why did you stop, and to whom did you surrender?”

Gogoi criticised the Union government for stopping Operation Sindoor after Pakistan capitulated and asked why did it not go further and reclaim the territory illegally occupied by the neighbouring country.

“The entire country, and the Opposition, were supporting PM Modi. Suddenly, on 10th May, we got to know that there had been a ceasefire. Why? We wanted to know from PM Modi that if Pakistan was ready to kneel down, then why did you stop, and to whom did you surrender? The US President has said this 26 times that he forced India and Pakistan to announce a ceasefire,” the Congress MP said.

The government has stated that there was no mediation and the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor took place after Pakistan’s DGMO contacted his Indian counterpart.

Participating in the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the House, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee accused the Prime Minister of being afraid of the US President.

“PM Modi, why once you couldn’t post on your ‘X’ handle that whatever the American President said is incorrect… The moment you stand in front of the American President, your height is reduced to 5 feet, and your chest is reduced to 36 inches from 56 inches. Why are you so afraid of the American President?”

Among those who participated in the debate included Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Samajwadi Party MP Ramashankar Rajbhar.