Strongly rebutting US President Donald Trump’s claims that he was requested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mediate in the Kashmir issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that “there was no question of mediation” in the matter.
Singh reiterated External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks in the Parliament on Tuesday that PM Modi has never requested Trump for mediation in the Kashmir dispute, which India sees as a bilateral issue with Pakistan.
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He further asserted that there was no question of mediation in the issue as it will be against the 1972 Simla Agreement.
“Kashmir is an issue of national pride for us. We can never compromise with it… if there would be any talks with Pakistan over Kashmir, it will also include Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Singh said.
US President Donald Trump on Monday dropped a bombshell when he claimed that he was requested by Modi to act as a mediator in the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters before his meeting in the White House with Khan, Trump asserted that during his meeting with Modi in Osaka, “We talked about the subject, (and) he actually said, ‘Would you like to mediate or arbitrate?’ I said, ‘Where,?’ (and he said) ‘Kashmir’.”
EAM Jaishankar on Tuesday “categorically assured” the Parliament that the PM never made such a request.
He further said the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all the issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally.
Under the 1972 Simla Agreement, India has time and again maintained that it will not have a third party involvement in the Kashmir issue.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs staged a walkout in Lok Sabha in protest demanding PM Modi’s clarification over Trump’s statement.
Earlier on Tuesday too, the opposition walked out of the Lok Sabha in protest.
Calling it a “blow to the unity of India”, Congress MP Manish Tewari questioned if such a conversation happened between Trump and Modi when they met in Osaka, Japan.
The upper house of the parliament also saw uproar by the opposition members from Congress, Left, TMC, Samajwadi Party and others, who stormed into the well demanding the Prime Minister’s explanation.
