There was a fiery political showdown in Parliament on Tuesday during the debate on Operation Sindoor when Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge made scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders challenged the Modi government’s reaction to former US President Donald Trump’s assertion of mediating a truce between India and Pakistan.
“Tell Trump to Lie,” Rahul Gandhi Challenges PM
In his Lok Sabha speech, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attacked the government’s approach to Operation Sindoor and questioned the political clarity deficiency. According to him, there needs to be strong political will when using the Indian armed forces.
“If you want to use the Indian Armed Forces, you need 100% political will and complete freedom of operation,” he stated.
Gandhi then drew upon a historical precedent to contrast older and newer forms of leadership.
अगर मोदी जी में 50% भी इंदिरा गांधी जितना दम है, तो संसद में साफ़ कहें – डोनाल्ड ट्रंप झूठ बोल रहे हैं!
कह दें कि न उन्होंने ceasefire कराया और न ही हमारे कोई plane गिरे।
सेना को अपनी छवि बचाने का ज़रिया मत बनाइए, मोदी जी! pic.twitter.com/Fbtu4OeYic
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 29, 2025
“In 1971, when the Seventh Fleet was bound for India, Indira Gandhi instructed General Manekshaw to take six months or a year—whatever time he required. That’s freedom of action. That’s what real political will is all about.”
Gandhi stepped up the attack by challenging the Prime Minister to rebut Donald Trump’s serial assertion.
“If he has the guts, he will say here that Donald Trump is a liar. 50% Indira Gandhi ka guts hai toh ye bol dega,” he added. Then he caught himself in mid-sentence, saying, “bol denge, sorry.”
He went on questioning, “Why is the Prime Minister mum? If Trump is lying, tell it. Tell it in Parliament.”
Kharge Echoes Rahul, Slams Diplomatic Silence
Congress President and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge supported Gandhi’s words in Rajya Sabha and mounted the attack against the government’s diplomatic stance.
“Even as Trump acknowledged 29 times that he facilitated the ceasefire, why is India still not prepared to accept it?” Kharge asked. “By the time I complete this speech, perhaps he may have said it a 30th time.
Kharge was concerned at what he termed a trend of silence and inaction on the part of the Modi government towards international claims, particularly by a former US President.
Mounting Pressure on Government Over Sindoor Operation
The debate is timed as the Modi government is justifying Operation Sindoor, a military operation opened in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. While the government is hailing the success of the operation, the Opposition is still questioning the intelligence failures, security shortfalls, and the strategic acumen behind it.
With Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge calling for a firm diplomatic and political stand, the heat on the government is likely to grow in the days to come.
