New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday criticised the government following US President Donald Trump’s remarks praising Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, questioning the message such comments send to India despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “desperate attempts” to win his favour.

“What sort of friendship is this between Trump and Modi?” the opposition party asked, pointing to Trump’s praise for Munir and previous interactions between the two leaders.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh noted that while Prime Minister Modi frequently refers to Trump as his good friend, the American leader reciprocates by calling Modi his good friend.

"But what sort of friendship is this? President Trump hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir to an unprecedented lunch in the White House on June 18, 2025. This was the Field Marshal whose inflammatory and communally poisonous remarks provided the backdrop to the Pahalgam terror attacks orchestrated by Pakistan on April 22, 2025," Ramesh said on X.

Trump met Munir a second time in the White House on October 1, 2025, when the Field Marshal presented President Trump with a box of rare earths, he said.

"Now in Egypt yesterday, President Trump calls Asim Munir as 'my favourite Field Marshal' and gives special place to the PM of Pakistan. What kind of signal is President Trump sending to India, in spite of Mr. Modi's desperate attempts to ingratiate himself with the US President?" Ramesh said.

What sort of friendship is this, Ramesh asked.

Praising Sharif and Pakistan army chief Gen Asim Munir, Trump invited the Pakistan prime minister to address the summit of world leaders in Egypt after a ceasefire reached in Gaza ending the Israel-Hamas war.

Trump called Munir, who was not present, as "my favourite Field Marshal from Pakistan".

Trump also praised India and Prime Minister Modi without naming him, saying India is a great country with a good friend of mine at the top.

Trump, addressing a summit of world leaders at this Egyptian city after a ceasefire reached in Gaza ending the Israel-Hamas war, said from the podium that he thinks India and Pakistan will live very nicely together.

"India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top, and he's just done a fantastic job. I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together," Trump said while looking at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was standing behind him, as he responded with a chuckle.

In his remarks, Sharif said he would like to nominate Trump again for the Nobel Peace Prize for saving millions of lives not only in South Asia but also in the Middle East.

After missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump has claimed to have resolved eight wars, including the one between India and Pakistan, saying he did not do this for the Nobel.

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim dozens of times that he helped settle the conflict between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.