'Triple jhatka', 'congenital liar': BJP, Congress trade barbs over PM-Trump call

The telephonic conversation between Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, during which the Prime Minister clarified certain aspects regarding the ceasefire and Operation Sindoor, has become the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP.

Leading the Congress's charge, Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said India received a "triple jhatka" (triple jolt) in foreign policy and diplomacy, citing Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir's closed-door lunch meeting with Trump, among other things.

He also demanded that the Prime Minister summon a Parliament session and detail his conversation with Trump, during which Modi made it clear to the US President that at no point during Operation Sindoor, trade or mediation were discussed with America.

"For 37 days, the PM did not say anything. Today, we are told that he had a 35-minute call with President Trump, and there is a readout... President Trump has also put out a statement from the White House. There is a difference between the two statements. Normally, these statements are different because they appeal to different audiences," Ramesh said.

"Why can't the Prime Minister call an all-party meeting? Say the same thing in Parliament. Take the opposition leaders into confidence and say the same thing which has been put out today by the foreign secretary," the Congress leader said.

After PM Modi's 35-minute phone call with Trump, which came at the US President's request, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri issued a readout of the conversation. The Trump administration, however, has not issued such statement yet.

During the talks, PM Modi informed Trump that the ceasefire on May 10 was directly negotiated with Pakistan, countering the President's oft-repeated claim that he had used "trade" to arrive at the understanding.

CONGRESS ON ASIM MUNIR US INVITE

Ramesh also questioned the Prime Minister's silence over Trump inviting Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir for a one-on-one lunch at the White House.

"Is this why President Trump abandoned the G7 Summit a day early denying Narendra Modi a huge hug," he asked. The Congress leader called it an "insult" to India and a setback for Indian diplomacy.

"He (Modi) should have made the US President aware of the direct link between Asim Munir's inflammatory, incendiary, provocative, absolutely unacceptable remarks that he made, which gave oxygen to the Pahalgam terrorists," he said.

Days before the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 dead, Munir provoked India by raking up the two-nation theory - the ideological basis for Pakistan's creation. He also called the Kashmir issue Pakistan's "jugular vein".

The Congress leader also pointed out that General Michael Kurilla, the US Central Command Head, hailed Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner", despite India considering it a "phenomenal perpetrator".

"General Michael Kurilla calls Pakistan a 'phenomenal' partner in counter-terrorism operations. This is triple jhatka to Howdy Modi by Namaste Trump!" Ramesh said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also raised doubts over the government readout.

"Modi's people are saying this, but President Trump should tweet about it and say that he takes back his words. Who will believe what PM Modi will say now?" Raut said.

BJP HITS BACK

The BJP was swift to hit back, with IT Cell chief Amit Malviya rebutting Ramesh's claims on a US readout of Modi-Trump talks, calling him a "congenital liar - much like Rahul Gandhi".

"He is now peddling yet another falsehood, claiming that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's statement doesn't match the US readout... But here is the catch: the readout he is citing is from January 2025! And there is no official US release yet on the latest call," Malviya tweeted.

"The Congress and its troll army simply can't digest the fact that Prime Minister Modi told President Trump in clear terms - India neither needs nor accepts any third-party mediation," he further said.