The Congress party has sharply attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US President Donald Trump’s recent praise for Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned what kind of friendship exists between Modi and Trump when the latter repeatedly lauds Munir, a figure linked to inflammatory remarks preceding the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

Ramesh highlighted that Modi often calls Trump his “good friend,” and Trump reciprocates, but recent gestures raise doubts about the nature of this diplomatic relationship.

Ramesh detailed that President Trump hosted Munir for an unprecedented lunch at the White House on June 18, 2025. He noted that Munir’s rhetoric had created a hostile environment ahead of the Pahalgam attacks, which killed 26 civilians.

Trump again met Munir on October 1, 2025, during which Munir gifted the President a box of rare earths. These repeated engagements were cited as signs of a close rapport between the US leader and Pakistan’s military chief.

During a world leaders’ summit in Egypt following a Gaza ceasefire, Trump referred to Munir in absentia as “my favourite Field Marshal from Pakistan” and gave special recognition to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

This event intensified Congress’ concerns over the optics for India, given Modi’s alignment with Trump. Ramesh argued that such praise from the US President sends mixed signals to India despite Modi’s attempts to strengthen Indo-US ties.

At the same summit, Trump also praised India and implied good relations with Modi, calling India “a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top.” He went on to express optimism that “Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together,” remarks that drew attention in the context of his close gestures towards Pakistani leadership during the event. Sharif responded light-heartedly to Trump’s comments and even suggested Trump be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for “saving millions” across regions.

Since May 10, 2025, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering a full ceasefire between India and Pakistan following an intense night of US-mediated talks. He asserts that he helped end the conflict sparked by the April Pahalgam attacks, grouping it among eight wars he says he resolved during his tenure.

Congress dismissed this narrative, aligning with the Indian government’s official position that the cessation of hostilities was reached through direct DGMO-level talks, not external mediation.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, in retaliation against cross-border terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The military action came three weeks after the Pahalgam terror strike, which saw significant civilian casualties.

The Modi government has maintained that the subsequent ceasefire was an outcome of bilateral military dialogue rather than US intervention, contradicting Trump’s repeated public claims.

Based On PTI Report