Assam Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday raised questions about the central government’s handling of the ceasefire situation with Pakistan.
He criticized what he described as a lack of transparency and demanded that the Centre provide clarity to both the public and opposition parties.
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“It is not only the Congress—people across the country are wondering why this ceasefire came about so suddenly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did convene an all-party meeting, where we clearly stated that all efforts in the national interest would be supported by the opposition. But even now, there is no clear picture of what’s going on. What is the current status of the ceasefire? What are its terms? No official statement has been issued,” he told reporters here.
Saikia’s remarks come in the wake of the Centre’s recent announcement of a ceasefire agreement with Pakistan following weeks of military tensions and limited cross-border engagements. The ceasefire, which was declared jointly by both nations, has brought relative calm to the border regions but has also sparked political debate over its timing and implications.
He emphasized that while the opposition is fully committed to national security and supports efforts aimed at securing peace, the government must maintain transparency and involve other stakeholders when it comes to decisions that impact national defence.
“The people deserve to know what has changed overnight for this ceasefire to come into effect,” he added.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back at the Congress, asserting that the party had no moral standing to question Modi’s decision.
Sarma strongly defended the government’s approach and hailed Operation Sindoor as a “decisive” and “successful” mission against terror infrastructure supported by Pakistan.
“Operation Sindoor was launched to eliminate the terror network, and by the night of May 6, we had accomplished our objectives,” he said. “Pakistan retaliated in defence of the terrorists, but India responded forcefully. When Pakistan realised it could not withstand the response, they backed down and agreed to the ceasefire.”
Sarma argued that the ceasefire was not a sign of weakness but rather the result of India’s military and strategic dominance.
The opposition is now pressing for a parliamentary briefing or a formal statement to be issued by the Defence or External Affairs Ministries, laying out the rationale, terms, and future roadmap related to the ceasefire agreement.