Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has drawn significant attention on social media and faced strong criticism from opposition parties following a tense exchange with a foreign journalist. The journalist persistently questioned the role of the United States and President Donald Trump in de-escalating recent hostilities between India and Pakistan, as reported by The News on Sunday.
During the interview, the reporter directly asked Jaishankar about Trump’s involvement in defusing tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. The questioning intensified as the journalist pressed further: “Have you arrested the killers of the 26 people in Pahalgam? Is an operation underway to apprehend them? What role did the US play in this entire process?”
While Jaishankar acknowledged a US contribution to the situation, his responses were widely perceived as evasive. At one point, he famously stated that the US “was in the United States during the process.”
The exchange quickly went viral on Indian social media, with supporters of the ruling BJP—often termed ‘bhakt trolls’—applauding Jaishankar’s sharp retort. However, opposition parties, particularly the Indian National Congress, have seized upon the moment to highlight what they perceive as the government’s lack of transparency and accountability.
The Congress party posted a short clip of the interview on its social media accounts, drawing attention to Jaishankar’s apparent discomfort when the journalist brought up Operation Sindoor. “Why is the foreign minister’s tongue [language] failing?” the Congress questioned on X (formerly Twitter).
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to social media to challenge the government, writing on X: “Who invited the US president to mediate? Why has not a single major country voiced support for us? Why is the Modi government still silent on these issues?”
The controversy is partly fueled by a May 10 post from US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire. While Pakistan seemed to confirm this development, India has sent mixed signals, alternately acknowledging and denying Washington’s role in the mediation.
The Congress party has leveraged this ambiguity to intensify its criticism of both the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a Saturday post, the party juxtaposed Rahul Gandhi’s and PM Modi’s actions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, framing it as a case of “One Nation, Two Leaders.”
An image of the Indian Congress party’s post on social media platform X, dated May 24, 2025, is referenced in the original text.
“After the Pahalgam Attack: LoP Rahul Gandhi ji rushed to Kashmir, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the grieving families of victims… PM Modi, on the other hand, was clearly absent. He skipped an all-party meeting… and was seen mingling with Bollywood stars,” the Congress post stated.
The party continued its critique by contrasting Modi’s and Gandhi’s responses to Operation Sindoor. While Gandhi called for a special parliamentary session and questioned the ceasefire and the government’s faith in Pakistan, the party alleged that Modi remained silent on Trump’s role and instead delivered “scripted Bollywood-style dialogues like ‘Garam Sindoor.’”
The statement concluded by highlighting Gandhi’s visit to Poonch to support victims of cross-border shelling, while accusing Modi of using the operation for self-promotion.
“The Difference is clear. Two leaders — One chooses empathy and accountability, and the other turns the nation’s crisis into a personal campaign,” the party declared.
