New Delhi, May 11 – Amid escalating discussions around India’s current stance on Pakistan, the Congress party on Sunday invoked the decisive leadership of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot emphasized Gandhi’s unwavering resolve despite external pressure from global superpowers, particularly the United States. They referenced the historic moment when the US dispatched its nuclear-armed Seventh Fleet, led by the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, into the Bay of Bengal in December 1971.
“Now is also the time to recall what happened in the second week of December 1971, which is well documented,” Ramesh stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The Nixon-Kissinger duo sent a nuclear-powered and nuclear-weapon capable US naval task force… Indira Gandhi was undeterred. Pakistan surrendered on December 16th, 1971.”
At a press briefing at the Congress headquarters, Sachin Pilot echoed the sentiment, saying, “Despite warnings from the United States, Indira Ji acted in supreme national interest. That leadership was focused purely on the nation.”
The party also paid tribute to Gandhi through its social media platforms, sharing archival footage and powerful statements from her 1971 addresses. One post read, “A symbol of unyielding strength and unwavering courage — Smt. Indira Gandhi.”
In another, the Congress declared, “Today the nation misses the courageous leadership of Indira Gandhi.”
The remarks come at a time when the national discourse is intensifying over India’s current foreign policy moves, particularly concerning Pakistan, reigniting memories of one of the most defining moments in Indian political and military history.