Washington invitation, uproar in New Delhi Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir has been invited to a ceremony to be held in Washington DC on June 14 to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The invitation has created a political storm in India. The Congress has called it a major diplomatic and strategic setback for India and has demanded an immediate response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress's strong response Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that this is the same Asim Munir who had used inflammatory and hateful language just before the Pahalgam terrorist attack. He raised the question, "What is America's intention?" Ramesh added that the head of the US Central Command recently called Pakistan a "great partner" in the fight against terrorism, while the Modi government claims that Operation Sindoor is still ongoing. In such a situation, the Pakistani Army Chief's participation as a guest at the US Army Day ceremony is a cause for concern. America's 'one scale' policy? Jairam Ramesh alleged that the statements of the Trump administration show that the US India and Pakistan are being weighed in the same balance. He said that on one hand, Prime Minister Modi is welcoming a delegation to inform the international community against Pakistan's support for terrorism, and on the other hand, there are reports coming from Washington that are further weakening India's diplomatic position. Congress demands: All-party meeting and special parliamentary session The Congress has demanded that Prime Minister Modi, putting aside his "intransigence" and "concern for dignity", immediately convene an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament. Ramesh said that this would enable the nation to clearly express its collective will and present a concrete roadmap to the country. He stressed that decades of diplomatic progress cannot be allowed to be undermined in this way. Visit at a critical time This is Asim Munir's first foreign visit after the recent tensions between India and Pakistan. The event is taking place on the 79th birthday of US President Donald Trump, which adds to the significance of the visit. It will now be important to see how India responds to this invitation.
