On Wednesday, Congress MP Imran Masood defended Rahul Gandhi’s “Narendra, surrender” remark aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the Indian Army could have retaken Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) had “Operation Sindoor” not been halted by the government.
Speaking at the Congress’ state headquarters in Bhopal, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Modi had “surrendered” to the United States during Donald Trump’s presidency. Gandhi connected this to a broader pattern, accusing the BJP and RSS of succumbing to pressure. He stated, “When Trump signaled from there, picked up the phone and asked Modi ji what are you doing. Narendra…Surrender, and Modi ji said ‘ji huzur’ and followed Trump’s directions,” implying Modi’s obedience to Trump.
Masood supported Gandhi’s comments to IANS, saying, “What wrong has Rahul said? Has Rahul ever said anything wrong? He spoke the truth. Just remember 1971, when a country was split into two (referring to the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan). This time, if we had taken control of PoK, it would have been done — but they (the government) stopped it. Our Army has no shortage of bravery and valour.”
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari also backed Rahul Gandhi, criticizing the Modi government for its “failure” to counter Trump’s repeated assertions that he facilitated a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. Tiwari remarked, “Rahul Gandhi fired an arrow of truth that struck directly at the BJP’s guilt, leaving them rattled. The BJP seems mentally unbalanced now. They’ve resorted to abusive, unparliamentary language — only someone mentally disturbed would speak this way. What Rahul Gandhi said is absolutely right.”
Tiwari further added, “Trump, not just once, but several times, made such claims. PM Modi should have publicly rejected them at least once, but he chose to be mum. I want to say that if PM Modi has the courage, he should stand before Indira Gandhi’s portrait and say that Trump did not ask India to surrender. We want a strong Prime Minister.”
Rahul Gandhi also addressed internal party issues, suggesting that some Congress leaders were aiding the BJP and that “lame horses” within the party would soon retire. Masood, commenting on this, told IANS, “This is a matter of party leadership. I have no say in this. Who they think is right or wrong, only Rahul Gandhi can speak about it.” He added, “To go to war, you need strong horses — like Chetak-type horses. But such horses are being sidelined. Are they now being searched for? What kind of preparation is this? This is an exercise in organisational restructuring, and it will continue in that direction.”
