'Find courage to respond': Congress to PM Modi over Trump's repeated peacemaker claims

New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday targeted Narendra Modi over Donald Trump repeating his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan using trade, asking the Prime Minister to "find courage to respond" to the US President while claiming that the "self-styled but now thoroughly shrunken and deeply exposed 56-inch chest is still quiet".

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi posted on X, "Trump is insulting Modi in country after country. Latest is South Korea. 1) Repeated that he used trade to frighten Modi into stopping Operation Sindoor. 2) Said 7 planes were shot down. Don’t be scared Modi-ji, find the courage to respond."

Sharing video clips of Trump's remarks in Japan and later in South Korea in which he repeated his claim that he stopped the India-Pakistan military conflict using trade, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the American President has made the reference in the US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UK.

"He has said it mid-flight and on land. Now President Trump has said it again, while addressing business leaders in Japan last (Tuesday) evening. No wonder his good friend in New Delhi does not want to hug him any more," he said.

In another post following Trump's remarks in South Korea, Ramesh said, "much more detailed than before. 56th time that President Trump has spoken about the abrupt halt to Operation Sindoor. But the self-styled but now thoroughly shrunken and deeply exposed 56-inch chest is still quiet".

In his remarks in Japan on Tuesday, Trump said, "a lot of the wars that I stopped were because of tariffs. And, frankly, I did a great service to the world because of tariffs, because of trade. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it. Seven planes were shot down. Seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down, and they were going at it, two big nuclear powers. I said to Prime Minister Modi, and I said to the prime minister and the Field Marshal over in Pakistan, I said that we're not going to do any trade if you're going to be fighting."

"(They said) 'no, no, one thing has nothing to do with the other' and I said it has a lot to do with the other. We said we are not doing any deals if you are going to fight and in about 24 hours that was the end of that, it was amazing," he said.

In South Korea, the US president said, "I am doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. We have a great relationship. Likewise, the Prime Minister of Pakistan is a great guy. They have a Field Marshal. You know why he's a Field Marshal? He's a great fighter and he is a great guy too. And so I know them all. I'm reading that seven planes were shot down and they are really going at it. These are two nuclear nations."

"I called Prime Minister Modi and said, we can't make a trade deal with you. 'No, no, we must make a trade deal (he said)'. I said, no, we can't, you're starting a war with Pakistan. We're not going to do it. And then I called Pakistan and said, we're not going to do trade with you because you're fighting with India. They said, 'no, no, you should let us fight'. They both said that. They're strong people. Prime Minister Modi is the nicest-looking guy...he's tough. (He said) 'No, we will fight'. I said, this is the same man that I know. After literally two days, they called up and they said, we understand, and they stopped fighting. How is that? Isn't that amazing?" Trump said.