The Congress party on Thursday strongly objected to a recent US commission report that allegedly refers to “Pakistan’s military success over India” during a brief four-day confrontation earlier this year. Calling it a serious diplomatic setback for the country, the party questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had not registered any protest so far.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the findings of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which has submitted its nearly 800-page annual report to the US Congress. The body, formed jointly by the US Senate and the House of Representatives, consists of twelve independent members.
Congress Questions Silence Over ‘Operation Sindoor’ Claims
Ramesh said former US President Donald Trump has claimed “around 60 times” that he stopped Operation Sindoor, yet the Prime Minister has remained “completely silent”. He argued that the commission’s description of the events was alarming and misleading, especially its portrayal of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack as an “insurgent attack”.
According to Ramesh, the commission’s analysis on pages 108–109 is “astonishing” and “unacceptable” to India. He shared screenshots of the report on X (formerly Twitter) and demanded that the Modi government take a firm stand.
What the US Report Says
The report alleges:
The May 7–10, 2025 clash between Indian and Pakistani forces attracted global attention due to Pakistan’s reliance on Chinese weaponry and intelligence.
During the confrontation—triggered by India’s retaliation following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians—both nations struck deeper targets inside each other’s territory than seen in the last five decades.
The commission further states that Pakistan’s “military success” during the clash highlighted the use of advanced Chinese equipment.
It adds that while calling the episode a “proxy war” might be an overstatement, China “opportunistically leveraged the conflict” to showcase its weapons and test their capabilities amid ongoing border tensions with India.
‘Diplomacy Suffering Repeated Setbacks’: Congress
Ramesh said such statements from influential US bodies raise serious questions about the government’s diplomatic strategy. He asked whether the MEA or the Prime Minister would officially protest what he called a “deeply flawed and damaging” characterization of India’s national security situation.
“The nation is witnessing yet another severe setback to its diplomacy,” he said, urging the government to clarify India’s position immediately.
