Self-styled Vishwaguru 'exposed', challenges galore for Indian diplomacy: Congress after Trump praises Pakistan's Army chief Asim Munir

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after US President Donald Trump's praise for Pakistan's Army chief, saying the time for "sloganeering, grandstanding, bragging, and lecturing is over as far as Indian diplomacy is concerned".

"The self-styled Vishwaguru and his band of chelas stand brutally exposed," Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Sharing a speech of Trump praising Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, Ramesh wrote, "The time for sloganeering, grandstanding, bragging, and lecturing is over as far as Indian diplomacy is concerned. The challenges are many, not only with the US but with numerous other countries." He said Trump's fascination for the man "whose incendiary, inflammatory, and communally vicious" statements provided the backdrop to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks continues.

"Not only has the US President met with Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House twice in the last three months, but now Mr. Trump says he loved the way the Field Marshal praised him for saving lives by stopping the conflict between India and Pakistan on May 10th. Mr. Trump went on to say that his all-powerful chief of staff described the Field Marshal's tribute as 'a most beautiful thing'," the Congress leader said.

Trump on Tuesday repeated his claim that he ended the very big conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

In his remarks to military leaders in Quantico, Trump also said that he was "honoured" when Pakistan Army chief Munir, "who is a very important guy in Pakistan", praised him for saving millions of lives.

"I have settled so many wars" in the nine months of his administration, he said.

"I've settled seven. And yesterday we might have settled the biggest of them all, although I don't know, Pakistan and India was very big, both nuclear powers. I settled that."