There was no discussion on Kashmir in the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Japan recently and there is no question of any mediation on the issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Amid a walkout of proceedings by the opposition which hasbeen demanding a statement from the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, sinceTuesday, Singh said in the House that “mediation on the Kashmir issue is alsoruled out as it is a question of national pride for India.”
“There was no discussion on Kashmir during the meetingbetween the Prime Minister and US President Trump in June. There is no questionof any mediation on Kashmir issue,” he said
Singh also assertedthat when India talks to Pakistan, it will not be limited to the issue ofKashmir, but also includes the other Kashmir controlled by Pakistan.
US President Trump had on Monday claimed that Prime MinisterModi had asked him to play the role of a mediator on Kashmir.
The Defence Minister said External Affairs Minister SJaishankar was present at the Trump-Modi meeting held on the sidelines of theG20 meeting in Osaka and his statement is the “most authentic” on theissue.
The External Affairs minister had already made a statement inboth houses of Parliament on Tuesday, making it clear that the Prime Ministerhad made no such request to the US President.
Earlier, during Question Hour, the Congress, DMK and a fewother parties came to the well demanding presence of PM Modi in the House and astatement from him.
They werecontinuously engaged in sloganeering, trying to disrupt the proceeding of theHouse.
When the Zero Hour began, Speaker Om Birla allowed Congressleader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to speak and also asked him to stayput in the House when the government will reply to his statement.
Chowdhury said the entire country was confused following thestatement of President Trump and it would be appropriate to hear from the”horse’s mouth”, the prime minister, to make the issue clear as itwas a matter between him (Modi) and Trump.
“What is wrong if we are seeking a statement from thehorse’s mouth. The prime minister must come to the House and make astatement,” he said.
However, when deputy leader of Lok Sabha and the DefenceMinister rose to make a statement, the Congress, DMK and other members staged awalk out in protest.
Singh said the opposition had promised to listen to thegovernment, but by walking out, they have “broken their promise”.
Earlier during Question Hour, as the uproar continued,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that while no doubt about theissue is left since the External Affairs Minister has already given astatement, the Defence Minister would respond during Zero Hour as the Oppositionhas again raised the matter.
However, protestingmembers were not convinced and continued with their sloganeering. They wereheard shouting slogans like ‘Prime Minister jawab do jawab do’ (Prime Ministershould answer).On Tuesday also, the Opposition had sought aresponse from the prime minister on the issue.