Congress hits out at PM Modi over 'silence' on China-Pak ties, calls for special session on national security

Congress MP and senior leader Jairam Ramesh launched a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy stance, particularly with respect to China and Pakistan, accusing the PM of maintaining “silence” on critical national security issues while engaging in political theatrics.

Addressing a press conference, Ramesh said, “Pandit Nehru died more than 60 years ago. He is part of history; we don’t need to keep going back to the past. What matters now is how the Prime Minister gave a clean chit to China on June 19, 2020. The relationship between China and Pakistan has since grown deeper, and yet the Prime Minister refuses to address the nation or take Parliament into confidence.”

Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of focusing on image-building exercises, such as “politicising Operation Sindhoor, organising rallies, and making filmy dialogue-baazi,” while failing to engage in serious discussions about pressing national threats.

Speaking on behalf of the Congress party’s long-standing demand for greater accountability on national security matters, Ramesh recalled that both Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi had written to the Prime Minister on May 10, requesting a special session of Parliament to discuss sensitive issues such as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and growing Chinese influence in Pakistan.

“We asked for an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, but only two meetings were held in a perfunctory manner by the Defence Minister. No meaningful discussions took place,” Ramesh stated. “We wanted to revisit the unanimous resolution passed on February 22, 1994, concerning PoK and terrorism. Given that both India and Pakistan are now nuclear powers and China’s footprint in the region has deepened, it is crucial to send a strong, unified message to the world,” he added.

The Congress leader stressed that the Opposition’s questions were raised in a constructive and sensitive manner, but the government's indifference has led to a lack of meaningful debate on these critical issues.