The Congress and other Opposition parties said that a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a vote for Pakistan as they seized on Imran Khan's remarks that there may be a better chance of Indo-Pak peace talks and settling of the Kashmir issue if the BJP is voted back to power. In a scathing attack, the Congress also said Pakistani premier Khan's remarks reflect that Pakistan has "officially allied" with Modi.

During an interaction with a small group of foreign journalists in Islamabad, Khan had said other parties would be afraid of right-wing backlash in case of a settlement on the Kashmir issue.