Congress slams PM’s silence on Trump praise for Munir

US President Donald Trump hailed India as “a great country” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “his very good friend” during his address in Egypt after signing the historic peace agreement ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza --- remarks made as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood awkwardly in the background.

The incident prompted a sharp political reaction back home, with the Congress slamming the Modi government for its “silence” over Trump’s recent praise for Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, whom the US President had called “my favourite.”

“India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top, and he has just done a fantastic job,” Trump declared to loud applause, before turning toward Sharif and adding, “I think India and Pakistan are going to live very nicely together,” drawing a brief smile and nod from the visibly uneasy Pakistani leader.

The scene, captured live on international television, symbolised both the unpredictability of Trump’s diplomacy and the delicate balancing act now confronting New Delhi.

Only a day earlier, Prime Minister Modi had lauded Trump’s peace efforts, welcoming the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for over two years. Calling the development “a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump, and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Modi had written on X, “We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to bring peace to the region.”

The Congress, however, seized on Trump’s contrasting praise for Pakistan’s military, accusing the Modi government of presiding over a “complete collapse” of India’s diplomatic standing.

In a post on X, the party said, “Trump is calling Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir his ‘favourite’. This is the same Asim Munir who orchestrated the killing of Indians. He plotted a terrorist attack on India.” The Opposition questioned whether the Prime Minister would dare to object to such remarks, saying India’s foreign policy under the BJP had been reduced to “photo-ops and personal friendships.”

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also weighed in, drawing attention to Modi’s repeated references to Trump as his “good friend.” “Prime Minister keeps calling President Trump his good friend. To be fair, President Trump also keeps calling Mr Modi his good friend. But what sort of friendship is this?” Ramesh asked.

He recalled that Trump had hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir for an “unprecedented lunch” at the White House on June 18, 2025 — the same officer whose “inflammatory and communally poisonous remarks provided the backdrop to the Pahalgam terror attacks” in April this year. Ramesh noted that Trump met Munir again on October 1, when the Pakistani military chief presented him with a box of rare earths.

“Now in Egypt yesterday, President Trump calls Asim Munir as ‘my favourite Field Marshal’ and gives special place to the PM of Pakistan. What kind of signal is President Trump sending to India, in spite of Mr. Modi’s desperate attempts to ingratiate himself with the US President? What kind of friendship is this, and where does it even exist?” he said.