Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s main opposition Congress Party is applying pressure after U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his assertion that five Indian-Pakistan hostilities, sparked by April’s attack in Pahalgam and ending on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement, had seen five jets shot down due to Trump’s trade leverage strategy.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took to X (formerly Twitter), posting: “Modi Ji, please give the nation an answer about these 5 [jets]!” Geo News + 1 and The Indian Express +1 both tweeted their statements as well as posted articles regarding it.
Opposition leaders and senior figures are pressing Modi to clarify his claim in Parliament, saying the public needs definitive answers.
What Trump Claimed
Speaking at a dinner for Republican senators, President Donald Trump made claims such as, ‘planes were being shot out of the air… I believe five jets had been shot down… we got this resolved through trade.” Geo News + The Indian Express both published articles.
He has asserted, 24 times so far, that his trade leverage helped broker an India-Pakistan ceasefire; see The Times of India +5 and The Indian Express +5.
Notably, he did not specify whether the jets were Indian or Pakistani.
India’s Official Response India’s Modi government has insisted that bilateral military communication was the cause of the ceasefire rather than external intervention or mediation from outside sources, including President Donald Trump in June. He even stressed in this conversation with Trump that India “does not and will never accept mediation”. Geo News (+1), The Indian Express (+2), Times of India (+2), Indian Express and Times of India all cover this topic extensively (plus several others)). Attempted Media Coverage; Opposition Reaction.
Rahul Gandhi demands full transparency and an official parliamentary report regarding air loss issues.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, described repeated Trump statements as an attempt at “launching another missile at Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, demanding he break his silence prior to the Monsoon Session of parliament (The Times of India/Durcan Herald/Indian Express/National Herald etc).
Opposition Critiques Modi’s Approach to Foreign Policy
The Opposition is criticizing Modi’s foreign policy approach and his close ties with Donald Trump–dubbed “huglomacy”–as being detrimental to India’s strategic autonomy, according to The Times of India +1 (+11). For these reasons and more, Political Stakes Are High
This issue has sparked intense discussions surrounding national pride and decision-making:
Congress is demanding a Parliamentary briefing or all-party meeting, alleging the government of hiding behind President Donald Trump’s narrative, whilst the BJP asserts that raising this matter before the upcoming Monsoon Session is politically expedient.
Context of the Conflict
Tensions escalated following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in 26 civilian casualties on April 8. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, prompting Pakistan to respond with Operation Khashbaar on May 8. India declared a ceasefire on May 10, following direct military-to-military communications without external brokering, officially declaring an end to hostilities on May 10. What Lies Ahead..?….? ;
What Lies Ahead? Went the conflict into Overdrive on May 10, following direct military-to-military communications without external brokering which led to both countries declaring formal ceasefire agreements on May 10 formally declaring ceasefire agreements to end hostilities on each side; which then declared an end on May 10. formally declaring an end on May 10, following direct military-to-military communications which took place directly between military teams–rather forming on 10 formally declaring ceasefires between both nations-. What Lies Ahead For India
Domestic scrutiny heightens: Will Modi address questions raised in parliament, and release official data regarding jet losses to the public?
Diplomatic Balance: To effectively manage its strategic relations with the U.S. while upholding national security protocols.
Opposition Unity: A coordinated call for transparency could spark further proceedings, including all-party discussions or an adjournment motion.
As the Monsoon Session nears, BJP may face increasing calls for accountability–particularly from opposition lawmakers who view this issue as a litmus test of his foreign policy leadership and national accountability.