“Triple Jhatka”: Congress Slams Modi-Trump Call; BJP Hits Back Over Gen Munir’s US Visit

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th June: The Congress party on Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call with US President Donald Trump—hailed by the government as a diplomatic victory following Operation Sindoor and the India-Pakistan ceasefire—as a “triple jhatka” (triple jolt) to the country, citing the timing and surrounding developments.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the credibility and context of the conversation, pointing to Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir’s scheduled lunch meeting with President Trump at the White House. “Asim Munir, the man whose provocative remarks were directly linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, is now having lunch with Trump,” Ramesh posted on X, questioning if PM Modi raised this matter during the 35-minute call.

General Munir had recently described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein”—remarks India condemned as inflammatory and dangerous. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had previously linked the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, to Munir’s extreme ideological posturing.

Ramesh also took aim at President Trump’s repeated claims—14 by his count—of having mediated between India and Pakistan. The opposition leader further highlighted a US military official’s comment calling Pakistan a “phenomenal” counterterrorism partner, which, combined with Trump’s ceasefire boast and Munir’s White House presence, he dubbed a “triple jhatka.”

The Congress has demanded that Prime Minister Modi summon Parliament and brief all parties on the call, accusing the government of silence over crucial diplomatic concerns. “Why can’t the PM tell Parliament what he told Trump? Take opposition leaders into confidence,” Ramesh said.

However, the BJP swiftly pushed back. Party IT cell head Amit Malviya dismissed Ramesh’s remarks, calling him a “congenital liar.” Malviya said no official US readout had been issued as of Wednesday afternoon, and the document being cited by Congress was from January 2025. “PM Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that India neither needs nor accepts any third-party mediation,” Malviya said.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also attacked the Congress, calling it the “biggest supplier and cultivator of fake news.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also weighed in, stating, “If Trump claims to have helped negotiate the ceasefire, he should tweet and take back his words.”