The opposition Indian National Congress has challenged Narendra Modi to explain why he appears unwilling to publicly confirm his frequent communications with Donald Trump, after the White House stated the US president and the Indian prime minister “speak pretty frequently” in the context of trade and strategic discussions. The Congress general-secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh, accused the prime minister of being opaque about key bilateral developments, pointing out that the public first learned about the halt of Operation Sindoor from a US announcement, rather than from New Delhi.
Ramesh asked: “Why does the Prime Minister refuse to acknowledge it? Why does he refuse to accept that he speaks to President Trump? What is he afraid of?” He pressed the government to clarify why communications of such magnitude are being revealed by the White House rather than by Indian officials. According to a short White House statement, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt affirmed that Trump maintains strong respect for the Indian leader and that his trade-team and the Indian side are involved in serious discussions.
Analysts note that India–US relations have undergone strain following Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent amid concerns over India’s purchases of Russian crude. The tariff hike had prompted New Delhi to scale back its Russian oil imports, thereby softening a major point of friction. The revived communications between the two leaders underline a shift towards thawing bilateral relations. Even so, the fact that the Indian prime minister has declined to publicly acknowledge the frequency of contact with the US president has provided the opposition with an opening to question transparency in foreign affairs.
The Congress invocation of Operation Sindoor is significant. That military operation, launched by India against Pakistan, had drawn international attention and raised speculation over third-party mediation. The US Secretary of State’s announcement on May 10, timed at 5.37 pm, conveyed the halt of that operation — a moment which the opposition says should have been communicated by Indian channels, not by a foreign government. India’s external-affairs minister later refuted claims of foreign mediation, stating the decision had been taken “bilaterally between the forces”.
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