Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that no world leader told India to stop Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, and that he clearly told US Vice President J D Vance during their May 9 phone call that the Indian armed forces will launch an even bigger attack in response to any Pakistani action.
He, however, didn’t name US President Donald Trump, who had claimed that his administration used trade to force India and Pakistan to agree to ceasefire.
“No leader in the world told India to stop its operation,” the PM said during the special 16-hour Operation Sindoor debate in the Lok Sabha.
He further stated: “On the night of 9th May, the Vice President of America tried to talk to me. He tried for an hour, but I was in a meeting with my army, so I could not pick up his call. Later, I called him back. The Vice President of America told me on the phone that Pakistan is going to launch a big attack. My answer was that if Pakistan has this intention, it will cost them a lot. If Pakistan attacks, we will respond by launching a big attack. This was my answer.”
The Prime Minister also avoided answering how Trump was the first person to announce the ceasefire and not the Indian government.
On May 10, the US president announced the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in a social media post.
It was only after his announcement India and Pakistan confirmed the development. While Pakistan thanked the US president for brokering peace between the neighbours, India didn’t mention the US role and stressed that the cessation of firing was directly negotiated by the armies of the two countries.
Earlier in the day, while intervening in the Operation Sindoor debate, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi dared PM Modi to call Trumo a liar.
“If he has the courage, he will say here that Donald Trump is a liar, the Congress leader said, adding “50% Indira Gandhi ka courage hai toh ye bol dega (He would say if he had even half the courage India Gandhi had).”