Congress to Centre: What was discussed with Pakistan before ceasefire? Did US mediate?

New Delhi: Voicing the ‘dismay and disappointment’ of the people across the country over the sudden announcement of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan by US president Donald Trump, the Congress asked whether the government had given up the years-old policy of no third-party mediation on Kashmir and whether it had given up the Shimla Agreement.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, senior party leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel asked under what circumstances the US president announced the ceasefire. “Is it not the failure of Indian diplomacy?” he asked, while remarking, “Have we accepted third-party mediation and suspended the Shimla Agreement?”

‘Reveal what India discussed with Pakistan regarding ceasefire’

Baghel said people of the country want to know what commitments have been taken from Pakistan before agreeing to the ceasefire.

He said that to get answers to all these questions, the Congress has demanded an all-party meeting with the prime minister in attendance as well as a special session of the Parliament. He disclosed that the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made it categorically clear that the Congress will not attend the meeting if the prime minister abstains, like he did during the first two such meetings.

Noting that it was a failure of Indian diplomacy, the former Chhattisgarh CM pointed out that the focus has shifted from terrorism to Kashmir. He referred to Trump’s statement where he mentioned Kashmir instead of terrorism. He said the problem arose due to terrorism and not Kashmir.

‘What happened to the Pahalgam attack terrorists?’

Baghel asked the government what happened to the terrorists who killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam. “We want to know whether they have been caught or killed?” he asked, while pointing out that nothing is known about them so far. He pointed out that the government had admitted the Pahalgam attack as a lapse and asked what action the government had taken. “Has it fixed the responsibility?” he asked, adding, “Will the Home Minister resign?”

Replying to a question about the 1994 unanimous Parliamentary resolution to get back Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), he said the entire country was in the mood to reclaim it this time, and the defence forces were making outstanding progress. But, he added, everyone was shocked and surprised by the sudden announcement of a ceasefire and that too by the US president.

‘Grave diplomatic failure’

Maintaining that it was a grave diplomatic failure, the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said the country stood isolated as with no nation standing by us this time. He pointed outthat even Russia, our trusted ally, was not seen with us this time. He recalled that during the Non-Alignment Movement days, so many countries stood by India, right from the time of Pandit Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

‘BJP leaders tried to take credit’

The senior Congress leader condemned the ‘partisan politics’ by some of the BJP leaders during these sensitive times. He said some of the BJP leaders were trying to hijack the brave and outstanding performance of our forces as if they (the BJP leaders), and not our defence forces, had destroyed the terrorist camps in Pakistan.

He reiterated the Congress stand that the party is proud of the country’s defence forces, who gave a befitting reply to Pakistan and destroyed the terrorist training camps in that country and avenged the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam.