‘PM must tell the nation what transpired in meeting’: Rahul Gandhi on Donald Trump’s Kashmir mediation claim

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Updated: Jun 04, 2020 00:43 IST

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “must tell the nation what transpired” in his meeting with Donald Trump after the US president’s stunning claim that the Indian PM has asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue.

Trump on Monday offered to help resolve the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan in initial remarks with visiting Prime Minister Imran Khan. The US president said that Prime Minister Modi had made a similar request when they met a few weeks ago — a claim that was rejected by India.

“President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’s interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement. A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & @POTUS,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

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The Congress leader was referring to the foreign ministry’s denial that any such request for mediation came from the Prime Minister.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha that “no such request has been made by PM Modi” and added that it has been India’s consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.

“The Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally,” the minister said.

The US had before that backtracked saying it would assist in India-Pakistan talks if both sides wanted and that Kashmir was a ‘bilateral issue’. It sternly reminded Pakistan of its own responsibility and accountability in the resolution of the dispute, saying it needs to deliver peremptorily on counter-terrorism.

“We believe the foundation for any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists on its territory,” said a US state department spokesperson.