Trump’s Kashmir mediation comment triggers massive political row

Donald Trump’s stunning claim that Prime Minister NarendraModi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue triggered a massivepolitical row on Tuesday even as the government asserted that no such requestwas made to the US president and all issues will have to be resolved withIslamabad bilaterally.

The issued rocked both houses of Parliament with theOpposition demanding Modi’s statement on Trump’s controversial remarks, holdingthat Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party can intervene.

   

As the opposition ramped up the attack on the government,External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha that Modi hadnever made any such request to Trump and stressed that all outstanding issueswith Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally.

“Any engagement with Pakistan will require an end tocross border terrorism,” he said, adding that the Simla and Lahore accordssigned between India and Pakistan provide the basis for resolution of allissues bilaterally.

The External Affairs Ministry made a similar statement onMonday night after Trump’s controversial comments that he met Pakistan PrimeMinister Imran Khan at the White House.

Not satisfied with the government’s statement, Congressleader Rahul Gandhi said if Trump’s claim that Modi asked him to mediate on theKashmir issue is true, the PM had betrayed the interests of the country.

Gandhi also asserted that a “weak” foreignministry denial wouldn’t do and Modi must tell the nation what transpired inthe meeting between him and the US president.

“President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediatebetween India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’sinterests & 1972 Shimla Agreement,” the Congress leader said in atweet.

In Washington, the State Department, in a damage controlexercise, said Kashmir was a “bilateral” issue between India andPakistan, and the US “welcomes” the two countries “sittingdown” for talks.

It also said Pakistan taking “sustained andirreversible” steps against terrorism are key to a successful dialoguewith India.

“While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties todiscuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down andthe United States stands ready to assist,” a State Department spokespersontold PTI in response to a question if Donald Trump’s remarks reflect a changein the country’s policy on Kashmir.

In New Delhi, scores of senior opposition leaders slammedthe government on the issue.

“We demand PM’s clarification,” TMC MP DerekO’Brien said.

Trump claimed that Modi asked him to mediate on the Kashmirissue when they met in Osaka, Japan, on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit lastmonth.

“If I can help, I would love to be a mediator. If I cando anything to help, let me know,” Trump said in response to a question,adding he is ready to help, if the two countries ask for it.

“I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and wetalked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, ‘would you like tobe a mediator or arbitrator?’ I said, ‘where?’ (Modi said) ‘Kashmir’,”Trump said.

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