‘Trump Again Takes Credit for Ceasefire’: Congress Criticizes PM Modi Over 55th Claim

Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump boasted for the 55th time that he halted the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict with trade threats, quipping that "no wonder his good friend in New Delhi does not want to hug him any more." The remark went viral within minutes, with #NoMoreHugs trending on X.

Party communications chief Jairam Ramesh shared a video of Trump's Tuesday speech to Japanese business leaders in Tokyo, where he recounted telling Modi and Pakistan's leadership, "We're not going to do any trade if you're going to be fighting," claiming seven planes were downed and the clash ended in 24 hours. Ramesh tracked the claim across 55 public instances since May, including addresses in Washington, Doha, Riyadh, Cairo, London, aboard Air Force One, and now Tokyo.

Ramesh noted the pattern. "He repeats it like a campaign slogan. Each time India stays silent, it emboldens the narrative that Washington pulled the strings." India insists the ceasefire was secured through direct DGMO-level talks on May 10, with no third-party mediation.

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The jibe references Modi's famous 2019 "Howdy Modi" hug with Trump in Houston, a moment replayed endlessly in BJP campaign ads. Sources say Modi has avoided physical gestures with Trump since 2024, opting for handshakes or namastes during G20 and BRICS summits. Congress alleges the government is "too scared to correct an ally."

Opposition leaders accuse the government of silence to avoid embarrassing Trump ahead of potential 2026 trade talks. "If India had really ended the war itself, why let Trump steal the credit 55 times?" asked a senior Congress MP. Analysts say the repeated claims undermine India's narrative of independent crisis management and risk portraying New Delhi as a U.S. client state.

The May conflict began with India's Operation Sindoor strikes on terror camps after the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan retaliated with drones and missiles. Trump first claimed credit on May 10 via Truth Social, thanking Pakistan's PM for "listening" while India issued a terse statement crediting bilateral military channels. Since then, the White House has listed "India-Pakistan de-escalation" under Trump's foreign policy wins.

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