The Congress has called for a Prime Minister-chaired all-party meeting to address the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement, while recalling the strong leadership of former prime minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war. The party has also demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the recent developments, including the April 22 Pahlagam attack, which it said must not be forgotten.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, took to social media platform X, stating, "In view of the unprecedented announcements from Washington DC, there is now a need, more than ever before, for -- the prime minister to chair an all-party meeting and take political parties into confidence."
He further added, "There is also now a need, more than ever before, for a special session of Parliament to discuss the events of the last 18 days, beginning with the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and the way forward, and to demonstrate a collective resolve."
The Congress also invoked the legacy of Indira Gandhi, quoting her historic letter to then-US president Richard Nixon, sent on December 12, 1971, just days before Pakistan's surrender in the war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
"This is prime minister Indira Gandhi's historic letter to president Nixon of December 12, 1971. Four days later Pakistan surrendered. She ensured that there was no 'neutral site' which has now been agreed to," Ramesh said in another post.
Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation, KC Venugopal, also quoted Indira Gandhi, writing, "'Being a developing country, we have our backbone straight, enough will and resources to fight all atrocities. Times have passed when any nation sitting 3-4 thousand miles away could give orders to Indians,'" reflecting the party's sentiment that India should not bow to external pressure.
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Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera echoed these sentiments, sharing photographs of Indira Gandhi with armed forces personnel and saying, "India misses Indira."
Speaking to reporters, Khera said, "We got to know from a tweet by US President Donald Trump, and that's how the country got to know about the ceasefire. We now repeat our demand that there should be an all-party meeting. There should be a special session of Parliament."
"The country needs to know what have we gained, what have we lost and whether justice has been delivered to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Also, the country misses Indira Gandhi today," Khera added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, speaking on the sidelines of an event, said, "I think peace is essential, we need to have more details, but I am very glad. India never wanted a long-term war but India wanted to teach terrorists a lesson, I believe that lesson has been taught."
Congress MP Manish Tewari, reflecting on the US's involvement, said, "It is also interesting that in the statement below the ceasefire is hyphenated with talks at a Neutral venue on a broad set of issues. Call it by whatever name you want; this is third party mediation."
Social media accounts of various Congress state units also shared photographs of Indira Gandhi, recalling her leadership and resilience during the 1971 conflict, with the Kerala Congress unit declaring, "Remember the name -- Indira Gandhi."
The ceasefire agreement, announced by the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan after a phone call, was first made public by US President Donald Trump. However, India has clarified that no talks on other issues at any "neutral site" have been agreed upon, despite statements from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating otherwise.
In a brief statement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the ceasefire was agreed upon during a call between the two militaries, emphasising that no further concessions were made. India has maintained that its actions were limited to counter-terror operations in response to the Pahalgam attack and that its military capabilities remain intact despite Pakistan's claims.
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