After US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to resolve the Kashmir issue, many questions have been pointed out at the latter.
“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. 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 mediator,” Trump said.
Reacting on the same, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that PM must tell the nation as to what transpired in the meeting between him and Trump.
“President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’s interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement. A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & @POTUS,” Gandhi tweeted.
President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir!
If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’s interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement.
A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & @POTUS
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 23, 2019
Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also reacted on the same and said that “to ask a foreign power to mediate in J&K by PM Modi is a sacrilegious betrayal of country’s interests.”
India has never accepted third party mediation in Jammu & Kashmir!
To ask a foreign power to mediate in J&K by PM Modi is a sacrilegious betrayal of country’s interests.
Let PM answer to the Nation!https://t.co/17wRVtRSMD
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 22, 2019
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Questioning PM Modi’s silence, Surjewala tweeted, “Deeply disturbing & distressing is the @POTUS claim that PM Modi made a request to him for mediation on Kashmir! No Indian PM has ever dared to breach the cardinal principle of ‘no third party mediation’ in terms of 1972 Simla Agreement. Why is PM mum?”
Deeply disturbing & distressing is the @POTUS claim that PM Modi made a request to him for mediation on Kashmir!
No Indian PM has ever dared to breach the cardinal principle of ‘no third party mediation’ in terms of 1972 Simla Agreement.
Why is PM mum?https://t.co/XynsonqooU
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 22, 2019
However, the Centre has refuted Trump’s claim, saying that PM Modi had never made such a request to him.
“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. 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 Simla Agreement & the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India & Pakistan bilaterally,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.
…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 & Pakistan bilaterally.2/2
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 22, 2019
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