New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) The Congress claimed on Tuesday that "much obviously happened" on May 10, 2025, leading to the first announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Operation Sindoor was halted.

The opposition party's remarks came after an American lobbying firm hired by the Indian embassy in Washington disclosed in a public filing that it helped the mission engage with the Donald Trump administration on a range of issues, including a proposed trade deal and the "media coverage" of Operation Sindoor.

The firm -- SHW Partners LLC -- submitted the details to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).

In its reaction, the Indian embassy said it is a standard practice for foreign missions and business organisations in the United States to hire the services of lobbyists and consultants.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Much obviously happened on May 10, 2025 leading to the first announcement of the halt of Op Sindoor by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 17:37 hrs." Congress leader Amitabh Dubey said the fact that the US trade representative was one of the three officials contacted on May 10 suggests that trade considerations may indeed have been part of the decision to halt the military action targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The American lobbying firm hired by the Indian embassy has disclosed in the public filing that it helped the mission engage with the Trump administration on a range of issues, including a proposed trade deal between the two countries and the "media coverage" of Operation Sindoor.

The filings, available on the FARA website, mentioned assistance rendered to the Indian mission for the period between April and December 2025.

The details showed that the firm helped the embassy reach out to three Trump administration officials -- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Ricky Gill (National Security Council) -- on May 10 to "discuss media coverage of Operation Sindoor".

India and Pakistan had ended their four-day military conflict on that day.

The assistance provided by the firm included arranging meetings, phone calls and emails between Indian and US officials.

"It is a standard practice for embassies, private and business organisations in the USA to hire the services of lobbyists and consultants to augment outreach," the embassy said.

"The Indian embassy has hired such firms, consistent with local practice and requirements under successive governments since the 1950s," it added.

Separate disclosures made by another lobbying firm, Seiden Law LLP, showed how it helped Pakistan establish long-term economic partnerships with the US and extended support to the country during its conflict with India. PTI ASK RC