President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betra… https://t.co/ZxaKHm1yGg — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 1563866825000

NEW DELHI: Putting out a categorical denial of US President Donald Trump ’s claim that he had been requested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mediate with Pakistan on Kashmir issue, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that the PM had made no such request.After Congress leader Anand Sharma and CPI general secretary D Raja raised the issue in the House and demanded that the Prime Minister himself come to the Rajya Sabha to clarify the matter, Jaishankar made a brief statement reiterating that it has been India’s consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan must be discussed only bilaterally."I would like to categorically state that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President," the external affairs minister said.Read Also: US in damage control mode after Trump flub on Kashmir“I would further underline that any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism. Let me conclude by emphasising that the Simla agreement and the Lahore declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between and India and Pakistan bilaterally. I hope in the view of my very specific and categorical responses, there is no confusion in the minds of anybody on this,” Jaishankar said even as protests resumed before he could end his statement.Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House till noon amid the din.Reacting to Jaishankar's statement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him and the US President."Row erupts as Trump offers to mediate in Kashmir issueEarlier, soon after the House reassembled and the Chairman allowed the matter to be raised, Congress leader Anand Sharma said the country was shocked to hear from the US President that PM Modi had requested him in Osaka to mediate with Pakistan on Kashmir. Sharma said both the Houses of Parliament had unanimously passed resolutions that all issues between India and Pakistan are to be settled bilaterally.Pointing to Simla Accord and Lahore declaration which state that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and that third party mediation is not acceptable, Sharma requested that PM himself come to the House and clarify on the matter that has “serious consequesnces”.CPI member D Raja too wanted to know if there has been any change in India’s long-maintained position that there should be no third-party mediation on Kashmir issue. “The denial (yesterday) by an MEA official is not enough and the PM should himself come to the House and clarify,” he said.