NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said external affairs minister S Jaishankar did not explicitly deny US involvement in the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.“There are certain things he has not categorically said. For example, he has not clearly stated that the US was not involved in the ceasefire. That is interesting,” news agency PTI reportedd her as saying. Earlier, Jaishankar told Parliament that no trade-offs or negotiations with the US influenced Operation Sindoor, and the request to halt the strikes came directly from Pakistan via the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) channel.Jaishankar told Lok Sabha that there was no phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during the critical period after the Pahalgam attack.“There were only two calls—on April 22, the day of the Pahalgam attack, and on June 17. There was no contact in between,” Jaishankar said, rejecting speculation about Washington’s mediation. “At no point was there any linkage between trade and military action in our conversations with the US,” he added.He also asserted that only three out of 190 UN member states opposed India’s actions post the Pahalgam terror attack, highlighting broad global support.The Congress has been raising questions ever since US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington mediated the May 10 ceasefire, following intense military operations launched by India on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.The government has consistently maintained that the de-escalation was the result of direct military-to-military communication, rejecting any claims of third-party mediation.Meanwhile, Jaishankar told Lok Sabha during debate on Operation Sindoor that India’s military retaliation after the Pahalgam terror attack marked a decisive shift in its approach to cross-border terrorism. He described this shift as a “new normal,” based on a five-point framework that includes refusing to yield to nuclear blackmail and rejecting any distinction between terror and diplomacy.Jaishankar outlined what he called a five-point “new normal” in India’s fight against cross-border terrorism:
- Terrorists will not be treated as proxies.
- Cross-border attacks will invite appropriate responses.
- Talks and terror cannot go hand-in-hand; the only talks will be on terror.
- India will not succumb to nuclear threats.
- Peaceful relations and terrorism cannot coexist—blood and water cannot flow together.
He stressed that Operation Sindoor represents a turning point, sending a clear message that India will act decisively against terrorism from across the border.In a strong pitch for political unity on national security, Jaishankar urged parties to avoid internal divisions when dealing with terrorism. “India can only ensure zero tolerance for terrorism if we stand united. I hope the solidarity shown by parliamentary delegations abroad is reflected within this House as well,” he said.Jaishankar also took aim at the Congress, criticising its handling of national security during past crises, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. However, he reserved his strongest comments for affirming India’s independent diplomatic stance during the Sindoor conflict.