Senior party leader Shashi Tharoor claimed that the situation in 1971 and 2025 is different, as the Congress used Indira Gandhi’s leadership during the liberation war in Bangladesh to criticize the Narendra Modi administration in the wake of yesterday’s ceasefire deal with Pakistan.

The Congress MP was questioned about the party’s social media campaign showcasing Indira Gandhi following the government’s announcement of the ceasefire agreement in an interview with the news agency. “The fact is that, in my opinion, we had reached a stage where the escalation was needlessly getting out of control,” Mr. Tharoor responded, without specifically addressing the campaign. We need peace. In actuality, the conditions of 2025 are different from those in 1971. There are variations.

Tharoor: Different Times, Different Politics

“The Indian people deserve peace,” he remarked. “We have endured a great deal of hardship; ask the residents of Poonch how many have perished. I’m not advocating for the cessation of warfare. We should persevere when there are good reasons to do so. However, we had no intention of continuing this conflict. All we wanted to do was make terrorists learn their lesson.

Mr. Tharoor stated, “That lesson has been taught.” He went on to say that he has no doubt the government will keep attempting to find the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam terror assault, which killed 26 innocent people. “That is essential. We must do it, even though it might not happen right now and could take months or even years. Nobody should be able to slaughter defenseless Indian citizens and get away with it. But that doesn’t mean we should risk a protracted fight with the entire country,” he continued.

1971 The Greatest Achievement:
“There was no justification for risking additional lives, limbs, or fortunes in this specific confrontation with Pakistan. We must prioritize growth, development, and advancement as well as the prosperity and well-being of the Indian populace. At this point, I believe maintaining the peace is the best course of action,” Mr. Tharoor stated. According to the Congress leader, the triumph in 1971 was a “great achievement” that filled him with pride as an Indian. “Indira Gandhiji revised the subcontinent’s map. However, the situation was different. The scenario in Pakistan today is different. “Everything is different, including their military gear and the damage they can cause,” he stated.

He claimed that India was fighting for the moral cause of bringing people to freedom in the Bangladesh liberation war. “This is a distinct tale. A far longer, drawn-out conflict with significant casualties on both sides would have resulted. Is this India’s top priority right now? No, it isn’t. “We wanted to show those responsible for sending these terrorists across that there are consequences,” he stated.

“I think that India never considered the events of May 7 to be the start of a lengthy war. We wouldn’t have escalated if it weren’t for Pakistan. We did, and so did Pakistan. It was reaching a stage where, had it gone on, we would have unnecessarily found ourselves embroiled in a protracted conflict with no apparent end goal. Bangladesh’s liberation is a certain goal. There is no clear goal in simply continuing to fire rounds at Pakistan. He remarked, “You see the difference.”

Congress Take on Ceasefire:

Congress leaders, including the party’s official account, posted images of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who led the nation to victory in the 1971 war, shortly after the ceasefire announcement. Regarding the truce, many perceived the posts as a jab at Prime Minister Modi. In response, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned what the then-UPA administration had done after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and asked if Congress had forgotten former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Also Read: Defence Ministry Briefing on Indo Pak Clash at 11am; Breaking News

To address the ceasefire agreement, Jairam Ramesh, the head of the Congress’s media department, called for an all-party meeting to be presided over by the prime minister. He also questioned whether the government had allowed third-party mediation in the Kashmir dispute and questioned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reference to a “neutral site.” “Finally, the Indian National Congress believes it is but natural for the country to recall Indira Gandhi for her extraordinarily courageous and resolute leadership in 1971,” he stated.

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