1. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan asked PM Modi to publicly counter Trump’s claims of mediating India-Pakistan ceasefire. Debates in Parliament follow.
2. Congress worker Prafull Kadam accused the Election Commission of defending PM Modi in a 2020 poll code violation.
3. Congress MP Praniti Shinde criticised BJP’s use of military symbolism in politics.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond directly to US President Donald Trump’s claims about mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, questioning the PM’s silence on such an assertion.
“If Trump is wrong, why isn’t Modi contradicting him?” asked Chavan at a press briefing, supporting criticism by Rahul Gandhi, as reported by PTI.
Parliamentary Debate:
In the recent parliamentary debates on Operation Sindoor, PM Modi said that no global leader asked India to halt its actions during the operation.
However, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav instead asked, “Who takes responsibility for the fact that the Pahalgam attack happened in the first place?” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the government’s delayed response and failure to prevent civilian and military casualties in the debate, as per The Hindu.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari raised questions on the terrorists’ identity and origin.
Moreover, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi argued how India had failed to use its global influence while Pakistan continues to enjoy financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Responding to speculation over external involvement, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified that there was no call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump between April 22 and June 17, as reported by The Hindu.
Chavan has also criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for what he called “selective enforcement” of electoral norms. Referring to the December 2020 launch of the 100th Kisan Rail, Chavan said that PM Modi and union ministers flagged off the train during panchayat elections in Maharashtra ahead of West Bengal polls, without seeking ECI or district-level permissions.
A complaint was filed by Congress worker Prafull Kadam, which the ECI admitted as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, but only issued a warning to the Railways.
Kadam also demanded that PM Modi’s Lok Sabha membership be cancelled, citing misuse of public platforms for electoral gain, reported PTI.
“If former PM Indira Gandhi and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray could face strict action for similar breaches, why is Narendra Modi being spared?” Chavan said.
Meanwhile, on the controversy surrounding Congress MP Praniti Shinde’s comments on Operation Sindoor, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said her remarks were directed at the BJP’s exploitation of military imagery for political advantage, not at the armed forces themselves.
Shinde had said that the BJP was turning national security into a spectacle through hoardings featuring PM Modi in military attire ahead of polls, as per PTI.
In other news, while responding to Rajya Sabha member Ujjwal Nikam's recent remarks on 26/11 terror attacker Ajmal Kasab, Chavan said the terrorist was sentenced and hanged under the Congress rule through proper judicial process.
"BJP rewarded him with a Rajya Sabha seat, and now he's making irrelevant statements," Chavan said when Nikam alleged Kasab’s mistrial.
Later, Sapkal criticised BJP-led state ministers, alleging misconduct including gambling and links to illicit establishments in Maharashtra, and called for their removal from office.
