Rahul Gandhi demands clarity on US role in India-Pakistan ceasefire; Modi asserts Indian sovereignty but evades direct response on Trump.
BY PC BUREAU
New Delhi, July 29, 2025 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday refrained from directly addressing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s challenge to publicly call former U.S. President Donald Trump a “liar” over claims that he pressured India and Pakistan into agreeing to a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the recent Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian Army’s cross-border retaliation under Operation Sindoor, Modi reiterated the government’s position that the May 10 ceasefire was prompted solely by Pakistani pleas and not due to international pressure.
“No foreign leader asked us to halt Operation Sindoor,” Modi asserted, without naming Trump. “On the night of May 9, U.S. Vice President JD Vance attempted to reach me for over an hour. I was in a meeting with our military leadership. When I returned his call, he warned me of a possible major Pakistani offensive. I told him that if Pakistan planned such an attack, it would face grave consequences.”
Speaking in the Lok Sabha.
https://t.co/5YMO8qcisH— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2025
While reaffirming India’s military autonomy, Modi sidestepped the central question raised by Rahul Gandhi: Why had the Prime Minister never contested Trump’s repeated public assertions that he was responsible for brokering the ceasefire?
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi had asked, “If Mr. Trump lied when he said he forced India and Pakistan to agree to a ceasefire, why hasn’t Prime Minister Modi had the courage to call him out?”
READ: Rahul Dares PM Modi: If Trump Lied, Say He is a Lier
Despite heated protests from BJP members, Gandhi’s challenge sparked intense discussion in the House.
Modi detailed the Indian response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, saying, “Our armed forces avenged the Pahalgam attack in just 22 minutes. The strikes under Operation Sindoor were precise, targeted, and non-escalatory. We called Pakistan’s nuclear bluff.”
He emphasized that the military was given full freedom to plan and execute operations in response to Pakistani threats. “By May 6 and 7, India had responded decisively. Pakistan, despite its posturing, was left stunned and unable to retaliate,” he said.
READ: Priyanka Gandhi Slams Govt on Pahalgam, Seeks Amit Shah’s Accountability
Taking a swipe at Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Modi mocked reports that Sharif was swimming when Indian missiles struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan. “They never imagined our response would be this swift and surgical. We forced them to bend,” he said.
The Prime Minister concluded by reaffirming his post-April 22 promise to bring terrorists and their handlers to justice. “This government will not rest until those who sponsor terror are made to pay,” he said.
