A day after India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire, the Opposition Congress shifted focus to the role played by the United States in brokering the truce. The party demanded clarity on the ceasefire terms and urged the government to take the nation into confidence.

Separately, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and the ceasefire announcement — first declared by US President Donald Trump and subsequently by the governments of India and Pakistan.

While the Congress had earlier extended unequivocal support to the government’s response against the perpetrators and their handlers, it now senses an opportunity to question the timing and nature of the ceasefire, as well as the extent of US involvement. The party also demanded to know whether New Delhi had received any concrete assurances from Islamabad regarding dismantling terror infrastructure — a key factor behind the truce.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram pointed to the sequence of events: “The DGMO of Pakistan called his Indian counterpart at 3:35 pm proposing a ceasefire, and India agreed. At 5:25 pm, President Trump announced the ceasefire on social media, followed minutes later by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement about upcoming talks at a ‘neutral site’. India’s Foreign Secretary then issued a brief statement at 6 pm, making no mention of Trump, Rubio, or any neutral venue. The timeline raises important questions,” he remarked.

Another senior Congress leader questioned how the DGMOs could agree to a ceasefire without top-level clearance, suggesting executive leadership had directed the move. “What transpired behind the scenes?” the leader asked.

Several Congress leaders noted that while US interventions during India-Pakistan tensions aren’t new, such backchannel efforts have rarely been made public. This time, they argued, the ceasefire announcement could have been better managed diplomatically.

Congress MP Manish Tewari highlighted that even the 2021 ceasefire agreement between the two DGMOs included language about addressing core issues and concerns. “What’s new in Secretary Marco Rubio’s statement is the mention of a neutral site for broader talks, potentially expanding on the 2021 agreement. The government must explain what understanding, if any, has been reached with Pakistan and the US that led to this formulation in the US statement,” Tewari said.

More importantly, he added, is whether Pakistan has committed to dismantling its terror infrastructure. “The basis of coercive deterrence is to ensure no repeat of Pakistan-backed terror strikes. Regardless of the ceasefire, what credible assurances has India secured on this front?”

Speaking at a press conference, CWC member Sachin Pilot expressed surprise at the ceasefire being first announced by the US President via social media. “The attempt to internationalise the India-Pakistan issue is worrying. On what conditions was the ceasefire declared, and what guarantees exist against future violations? After yesterday’s incidents, what credibility remains?” he asked.

Pilot reaffirmed that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, and no third country — including the US — should have a role. He urged Parliament to reassert the unanimous 1994 resolution to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh questioned whether Rubio’s mention of a ‘neutral site’ indicated a departure from the Simla Agreement and an openness to third-party mediation. “If diplomatic channels are being reopened, what commitments have we sought and obtained?” he asked.

The Congress also invoked the leadership of Indira Gandhi during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. While praising Gandhi’s conviction and courage, Shashi Tharoor, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, underlined that the 1971 situation was fundamentally different.

“This isn’t a war we wish to prolong. The aim was to punish those responsible for the Pahalgam attack, and that has been done. The government must continue tracking those accountable,” he said.

Manish Tewari, while acknowledging Indira Gandhi’s stature, noted that strategic realities have dramatically shifted since the 1970s. “Decisions on military and strategic policy must reflect today’s geopolitical context,” he said.