‘Self-styled Vishwaguru stands exposed’: Congress' dig at PM Modi over Pakistan's role in US-Iran ceasefire

On Wednesday, in a statement attacking the Modi government, Congress said the role played by Pakistan in mediating the ceasefire between Iran and the is a "severe setback" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "highly personalised diplomacy" and "the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed".

The opposition also stated that the Prime Minister's "cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel's belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh took to social media, saying that the entire world will cautiously welcome the two-week ceasefire in the West Asia conflict between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other.

"The conflict had begun on February 28th with the targeted assassinations of the topmost echelons of the regime in Iran. These had started just two days after Prime Minister Modi had completed his much-trumpeted visit to Israel, a visit that diminished India's global stature and standing," he claimed.

PM Modi had said nothing about Israel's "genocide" in Gaza and its aggressively expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank, Ramesh said.

"The role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire is a severe setback to both the substance and style of Mr Modi's highly personalised diplomacy," he said.

The policy to isolate Pakistan for its continuing support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and to convince the world that it is a failed state has clearly not succeeded – unlike what Manmohan Singh had accomplished after the Mumbai terror attacks, the Congress leader claimed.

That a bankrupt economy dependent entirely on the largesse of external donors and a broken country in so many ways was able to play such a role calls into question Modi's strategy of engagement and narrative management, he said.

"He (Modi) or his team has also never explained why Op Sindoor was suddenly and abruptly halted on May 10th 2025 - the first announcement of which came from the US Secretary of State and for which the US President has claimed credit almost a hundred times since then," Ramesh said.

"There is a palpable sigh of relief everywhere. The External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) dismissed Pakistan as a dalal. But now the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed, his self-declared 56-inch chest shrunk and shrivelled," Ramesh said.

"His cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel's belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House," the Congress leader added.

US President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran, as the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump diverged from his previous threats to capitulate to a deal or face attacks on its bridges and power plants meant to destroy the Iranian civilisation, less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday evening (US time) amongst Democrats calling for his removal from his position over threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation.

"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," the US President said in a social media post.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the United States in Pakistan beginning Friday.

Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire proceudres would commence, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region in the early hours of Wednesday.

Israel backed the ceasefire but the deal doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday.