Trump talks ceasefire again, Congress slams PM Modi’s ‘refusal to deny’

New Delhi, July 30: The Congress, on Wednesday, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "refusing to unequivocally" deny US President Donald Trump's India-Pakistan ceasefire claims as he is on a “very weak wicket and has much to cover up”.

The Opposition party also took a swipe at the Prime Minister after Trump repeated his claim about playing a role in bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying the American leader is coiled around the PM "like a snake" and "hissing bitter truths" into his ear.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday on Air Force One, on his way back to Washington from Scotland, Trump repeated the claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.

Tagging a video of Trump's latest remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "This is President Trump yet again - after the PM's intervention yesterday in the Lok Sabha where he deflected and diverted the main issue."

"Why is the PM simply refusing to unequivocally and categorically deny what his good friend Donald Trump has now said 30 times in the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UK? The answer is clear. Mr. Narendra Modi is on a very weak wicket and has much to cover up," Ramesh said on social media.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "Trump is coiled around Modi like a snake. And yesterday, Rahul Gandhi handed him the perfect chance to wriggle out of the mess. Just say Trump was lying about the ceasefire."

"Simple, right? But no. Modi is allergic to taking Rahul ji's advice. And voilà , today the snake is back, coiled tighter than ever, hissing bitter truths into Modi's ear," Khera said on social media.

Asked about reports that India is preparing to face higher US tariffs between 20-25%, Trump on Tuesday replied, "Ya, I think so."

"India has been, they're my friends, and he's my friend, Trump said," referring to Prime Minister Modi.

"And you know, they ended the war with Pakistan at my request, and that was great. And Pakistan did also. We did a lot of, a lot of great settlements, including the recent one, as you know, with Cambodia," Trump said.

In a no-holds-barred attack in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had dared Prime Minister Modi to categorically rebut US President Trump's India-Pakistan ceasefire claims.

Modi, who spoke after Gandhi, affirmed that no leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor but lamented that while the nation got support from the entire world, the Congress and its allies could not stand behind the valour of the nation's soldiers.

PTI