Senior Congress leader MP Ajay Maken expressed strong concerns over the recent ceasefire, alleging it was influenced by pressure from a third country. Speaking at the ‘Jai Hind Sabha’ at Hotel Peterhoff, held to honour Himachal Pradesh’s brave soldiers and gallantry awardees, Maken questioned the government’s silence on key national security issues.
He announced that Congress will hold ‘Jai Hind Sabha’ events at 15 locations nationwide to pay tribute to India’s armed forces. Maken recalled India’s firm military responses to Pakistan since independence, including surgical strikes in 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2014, crediting the armed forces while noting Congress never politicized these actions.
Highlighting the recent Pahalgam terror attack, he lamented the lack of global condemnation of Pakistan, calling it a failure of India’s foreign policy. Maken also warned that Pakistan’s ₹20,000 crore loan could be used against India and criticized the failure to get international action against terrorist groups like The Resistance Front.
He questioned India’s acceptance of U.S. mediation for the ceasefire and the terms agreed upon, stating that for the first time in 75 years, the sacrifices of the armed forces seemed overlooked. Referring to the Shimla Agreement, he alleged that U.S. trade threats influenced the ceasefire and asked who truly benefited from it.
Supporting Maken’s views, Rajya Sabha MP Rajni Patil said top Congress leaders directed the organization of these events to honour military heroes and condemned foreign interference in the ceasefire decision. HPCC President Pratibha Singh recalled Indira Gandhi’s leadership in the 1971 war and affirmed Congress’s commitment to organising similar tributes at the district level.
The event opened with two minutes of silence in memory of the martyrs, marking a solemn start to the gathering.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
