Congress plans 'Jai Hind' rallies to counter BJP's 'Sindoor politics'

The Congress on Wednesday announced plans to hold 'Jai Hind' rallies in around a dozen cities to protest what it called the BJP's "politicisation" of Operation Sindoor through 'Tiranga Yatras'. The rallies will also demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a series of foreign policy and national security issues.

At a meeting of senior party leaders chaired by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress decided to question the PM on why former US President Donald Trump had first announced the Indo-Pak ceasefire, claimed he had brokered it, and offered to mediate on Kashmir. The party also questioned why the US Secretary of State said further India-Pakistan talks would be held at a neutral venue and why India signed a ceasefire pact with Pakistan without securing the extradition of terrorists, including the five accused in the Pahalgam massacre.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said Operation Sindoor is "the nation's brand, not a political party's brand," and criticised the BJP for using it for political gain. "We have never politicised security issues. PM Modi is meeting NDA Chief Ministers on May 25-why not call all CMs? Why is he silent on serious questions, avoiding all-party meetings, and not convening a special Parliament session?" he asked.


Ramesh added, "Trump's claim that the US stopped the war and Secretary Marco Rubio's assertion of America's decisive role raise serious questions. Yet, the External Affairs Ministry (MEA) only responds through spokespersons."

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said the PM must explain Trump's repeated assertions, including his recent comment in Saudi Arabia linking the Indo-Pak ceasefire to trade deals. "National security and integrity can't be equated with trade deals. This obsession with deals is unacceptable. Clarification must come from the topmost level," he said.

Spokesperson Pawan Khera said the party would also press the government for accountability over the intelligence failure behind the Pahalgam attack. He recalled that PM Nehru had responded positively to an Opposition demand for a special Parliament session during the 1962 Chinese aggression.