NEW DELHI: The Congress party criticized the government on Thursday over its handling of Operation Sindoor and its diplomatic consequences, asserting that Pakistan has not faced global isolation post-operation as it did following the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress’ general secretary in charge of communications, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express concerns regarding the government’s management of the operation and the subsequent diplomatic fallout. “As we celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of Operation Sindoor and salute the achievements of our armed forces, it would be useful to recall the following: The first announcement of the ceasefire that halted Operation Sindoor unexpectedly was made at 5:37 PM IST on May 10, 2025, by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed this was possible due to intervention by President Trump,” Ramesh wrote.
He noted that President Trump has reiterated this claim over a hundred times in various international forums without refutation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ramesh also highlighted statements from senior military officials post-operation. For instance, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan stated on May 30, 2025, in Singapore that India experienced initial losses due to tactical errors but successfully executed precision strikes deep into Pakistan after correcting those mistakes.
The Congress leader recalled a remark made by the Defence Attache at the Indian embassy in Indonesia on June 10, 2025, who acknowledged that India lost aircraft on May 7, 2025, due to restrictions placed by political leadership. Additionally, Ramesh cited Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt General Rahul Singh’s comments from July 4, 2025, regarding China’s significant involvement in Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor through various support mechanisms.
Ramesh asserted, “Yet, the Modi government’s calibrated capitulation to China continues unabated, including the loss of traditional patrolling rights in Ladakh, record Chinese imports, and relaxation of FDI norms.” He claimed that despite India’s extensive diplomatic outreach, Pakistan did not achieve the same level of isolation it faced after the Mumbai attack. Instead, he noted that Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been warmly received by President Trump since June 2025, gaining praise from the US military establishment.
Ramesh also recalled the establishment of the Kargil Review Committee by the Vajpayee government after the Kargil War in July 1999, which was tasked to review events and provide recommendations.
Operation Sindoor was initiated by India on May 7, 2025, in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that resulted in 26 fatalities, mostly among tourists. The operation involved airstrikes on nine terror infrastructure sites located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The military actions heightened tensions, with Pakistan executing retaliatory attacks that the Indian military largely countered. Hostilities ceased on May 10 following discussions between military officials from both nations via hotline, resulting in a mutual agreement to halt military operations.
