Key points
- Congress leaders slam Modi govt for lack of transparency on Operation Sindoor
- Chidambaram raises concerns about intelligence failure and unclear NIA findings
- Questions blaming Pakistan, citing no international confirmation
- Hooda demands answers on sudden ceasefire and shifting govt narrative
ISLAMABAD: Senior Congress leaders in India have sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over what they describe as a lack of transparency and accountability regarding Operation Sindoor. In separate remarks, former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda questioned the government’s silence and sought answers on several aspects of the military operation.
In an interview aired by NDTV, Chidambaram asked, “Why is the Prime Minister, or the Defence Minister, or the Foreign Minister not making a comprehensive statement? I think they’re hiding the fact. And the CDS hinted that we made tactical mistakes. We re-strategised it.”
“There’s no evidence”
Raising questions about the investigation into the attack, Chidambaram added, “The second issue is they are unwilling to disclose what the NIA has done all these weeks. Have they identified the terrorists? Where did they come from? For all we know, they could be home-grown terrorists. Why do we assume that they came from Pakistan? There’s no evidence of that. Not one country has named Pakistan as the aggressor. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization resolution, the BRICS resolution, has not named Pakistan. And our immediate neighbours — Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius — have not named Pakistan.”
Trump’s role
He also alleged that the government was concealing the extent of losses suffered, saying, “They are also hiding the losses. I understand that India would have suffered losses. Be upfront. We know it was an intelligence failure. What the government can do is admit there was an intelligence failure. President Trump has said that 25 times. One side says Donald Trump brought about the ceasefire, and we are obliquely saying Donald Trump had no role in the ceasefire. If he had a role, why not admit it?”
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On the ceasefire communication, Chidambaram pressed for details: “I’m sure that video call was recorded. If you didn’t record it, I’m sure Pakistan has recorded it. Will a DGMO speak to the DGMO without any record of what happened? Suppose they say flatly, ‘No national security, the DGMO spoke to the DGMO and they agreed.’ Then we will say, where is the record? There must be some record. They will say flatly, ‘No.'”
Demand for clarity
Speaking in Parliament, Deepender Singh Hooda echoed the demand for clarity, stating, “On the 10th [May], all of a sudden — ceasefire. You used to repeatedly talk about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Now, moving forward, how will you speak about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in front of the country?”
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He further questioned the government’s shifting narrative: “In all your statements, it was said that Pakistan was on its knees. If Pakistan was on its knees, then what was the justification for a ceasefire? What were the conditions for the ceasefire? You should present them before the country.”
The remarks underscore growing pressure on the Modi government to explain the handling of Operation Sindoor and the events surrounding the sudden ceasefire.
