NEW DELHI, May 13: India on Tuesday appeared to push back against US President Donald Trump’s offer of mediation on the Kashmir issue and his claims of defusing a nuclear conflict in the context of hostilities between Indian and Pakistani militaries following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also seemed to reject Trump’s “forceful” comments that Washington brokered the understanding between India and Pakistan on ending their four-day military conflict.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, replying to a volley of questions at a media briefing on the US president’s remarks on Kashmir, said India has a “longstanding” national position that any issue relating to it will have to be addressed by New Delhi and Islamabad bilaterally.
“That stated policy (on Jammu and Kashmir) has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,” Jaiswal said.
In a social media post on May 11, Trump claimed credit for helping India and Pakistan arrive at a “historic and heroic decision” to end their hostilities and offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue, saying he will work with both sides to see if a “solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir”.
Without directly mentioning Trump’s claim of brokering the understanding on cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, Jaiswal said the arrangement was firmed up during a conversation over the hotline by Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries on May 10.
“Let me be clear. It was the force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to stop its firing,” he said, indirectly rebutting Trump’s claim.
In his remarks to the media on Monday, Trump said: “On Saturday, my administration helped broker a full and immediate ceasefire, I think a permanent one, between India and Pakistan, ending a dangerous conflict of two nations with lots of nuclear weapons.”
The US president also claimed that he pressured New Delhi and Islamabad to stop hostilities by threatening to cut trade with both countries. (PTI)
