No Request Made By PM Narendra Modi for Trump Mediation: Centre to Parliament
Mumbai: US President Donald Trump’s recommended to be the “mediator” between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue has created chaos in the parliament. Although External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ‘categorically assured the Rajya Sabha that there was no such request made by PM Modi. Even the opposition MP’s determined their demands for PM Modi’s reply over Trump’s remark.
Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewal tweeted, “When will our Prime Minister ‘wake up’ and call the bluff if President Trump is lying? Or did Prime Minister Modi ask POTUS (Donald Trump) to mediate?”
On the other hand, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar stated in the Rajya Sabha that, “t has been India’s consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism. I would like to categorically assure the House that no such request has been made by PM Modi.”
Venkiah Naidu Vice President also requested the house to not ‘politicise the issue’. “It is a national issue. Country’s unity, integrity & national interest is involved, we should be seen speaking in one voice,” Naidu told the upper House.
On Monday while addressing a press conference US President Donald Trump before his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the White House said, “I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago, and we talked about the subject. And he actually said, ‘would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator’, and I said ‘where?’, and he said ‘Kashmir’, because this has been going on for many, many years. I was surprised for how long it has been going on,” to which Imran Khan interjected to say, “70 years”.
He added, “I think they (India) would like to see it resolved, and I think you (Pakistan) would like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be a mediator.”
Declining Tump’s assertion, the government had said that PM Modi never made such a request to him, and said that all the issues with Pakistan are “discussed only bilaterally.”
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, “We have seen the US President’s remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate if requested by India and Pakistan, on the Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US President.”
He added, “It has been India’s consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement & the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally.”
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