Congress Leaders Rally Behind Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Narendra Surrender’ Remark, Claim PoK Could Have Been Reclaimed
Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday backed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s contentious remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi — “Narendra, surrender” — claiming that India’s armed forces could have successfully reclaimed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) if the government had not halted Operation Sindoor.
The remark, which drew strong reactions from BJP leaders, was made during Gandhi’s address at the Congress headquarters in Bhopal. There, he alleged that PM Modi had capitulated to foreign pressure during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Trump gave a signal, picked up the phone and asked — Modi ji, what are you doing? Narendra… Surrender… and Modi ji simply complied,” Gandhi said, implying that the Prime Minister had bowed to international pressure during sensitive diplomatic moments.
Masood, in an interview with IANS, defended Gandhi’s assertion. “What Rahul said is true. Has he ever lied about such matters? Just look back at 1971 — we split a country in two. This time too, PoK was within reach. Our Army had the courage and capability, but it was the political leadership that pulled back,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said Gandhi had “fired a truth arrow” that had clearly unsettled the BJP. He also questioned the government’s failure to counter former President Trump’s repeated claims that he had brokered peace between India and Pakistan.
“Trump made that claim multiple times. Yet, PM Modi never once refuted it publicly. If he has the courage, let him stand before Indira Gandhi’s portrait and deny it. We want a Prime Minister who stands strong, not silent,” Tiwari said. Tiwari further criticized the BJP’s response to Gandhi’s remarks, saying, “Instead of responding with reason, they’ve resorted to abusive, unbalanced language. That only shows how rattled they are.” In a notable shift of tone, Gandhi also turned the lens inward, cautioning that some Congress leaders were effectively helping the BJP and hinting at an imminent organisational overhaul.
Responding to questions about this internal critique, Masood refrained from offering a detailed opinion. “This is a matter of party leadership. Who stays or goes — only Rahul Gandhi can decide that,” he said.
However, Masood did offer a metaphor to support Gandhi’s vision for party rejuvenation: “To fight a war, you need strong horses — the Chetak-type. Right now, many such horses have been sidelined. But this restructuring is necessary, and it’s underway.”
