"From 68 to 70...number of times PM's 'good friend'...": Jairam Ramesh over Trump's repeated claim on Op Sindoor

New Delhi [India], January 21 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, on Wednesday, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's relationship with US President Donald Trump, stating that Trump has claimed 70 times that he was responsible for halting Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025.
In a post on X, Ramesh said that until a day earlier, Trump had claimed involvement in stopping the operation 68 times, which jumped straight to 70, once during his opening statement at the White House press conference, and later during the Q&A session.
"Before yesterday, the number stood at 68. However, yesterday itself, that figure did not hit 69, but jumped straight to 70, once during his opening statement at the White House press conference, and later during the Q&A session," he wrote.
The Congress leader also took a jibe at PM Modi's welcoming gesture of hugging Trump. "This is the number of times the Prime Minister's 'good friend', who has also been on the receiving end of the PM's forced hugs several times, has claimed that he alone was responsible for the sudden and unexpected halt of Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025," added Ramesh.
This comes after the White House on Tuesday (local time) released the "365 Wins in 365 Days" document, marking US President Donald Trump's achievement in the first year of his second term.
The document also lists Trump's repeated claim of "brokering a ceasefire" between India and Pakistan as one of his key successes under the "Reasserting American Leadership on the World Stage" section.
Later, when Trump briefed the press on completing one year of governance, he reiterated his claim. However, this time he increased the number of planes that were shot down in the conflict from seven to eight.
"I ended eight unendable wars in 10 months. Pakistan and India. They were really going at it. Eight planes were shot down. They were going to go nuclear, in my opinion. The Prime Minister of Pakistan was here, and he said 'President Trump saved 10 million people' and maybe much more than that," he said.
As Trump's continuous claims continue, it is worth noting that India has consistently denied any third-party involvement, maintaining that peace was brokered directly between the two countries following India's launch of Operation Sindoor to target terror bases in Pakistan. The operation was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people back in April 2025.
According to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted his Indian counterpart on May 10 to request an end to hostilities. The ceasefire was then agreed upon.
India has also reiterated its long-standing position that any issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, are to be resolved bilaterally between the two countries.
Ramesh had also previously criticised the BJP-led government after US President Donald Trump and his administration repeated their claims that they had halted the India-Pakistan conflict in May.
The India-Pakistan conflict refers to the escalation in May following New Delhi's Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on May 7, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
Following this, Pakistan also retaliated with border shelling on the Indian side, after which India struck 11 of Pakistan's military and air bases, causing significant damage to Islamabad's military installations. (ANI)