Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too said there was no question of arbitration on the issue of Kashmir for which US President Donald Trump offered help to mediate. This comes a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar clarified in Parliament that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not sought help from the US President Donald.
Singh made the statement in the Lok Sabha after the Congress walked out of the House over Modi’s absence and constant silence over the issue. He said there was no discussion on the matter between Trump and Modi in Japan recently and that there was no question of any mediation on the issue.
He then added that mediation on the Kashmir issue is ruled out as it happens to be a question of national pride for India.
Trump on Monday had claimed during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that Modi had asked him to play the role of an arbitrator on the Kashmir issue. The statement had set off a political storm in India which eventually forced Jaishankar to clarify that Modi had made no such request.
However, Congress rejected Jaishankar’s clarification and demanded that the prime minister clear the air.
Trump’s statement was also widely panned in the United States, with US Congressman Brad Sherman termed Trump’s statement “amateurish, delusional and embarrassing”.
He tweeted saying, "Everyone who knows anything about foreign policy in South Asia knows that India consistently opposes third-party mediation on Kashmir. Everyone knows PM Modi would never suggest such a thing. Trump's statement is amateurish and delusional and embarrassing."