No call between PM Modi and Trump from April 22 to June 1, at no stage, in any conversation with the US, was there any linkage with trade and what was going on, Jaishankar said; India and Pakistan would still be warring with each other, if not for his intervention, said Trump on the same day
The discussion on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches on various issues, including repeated claims by US President Donald Trump of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Interestingly even while the debate was on in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, the US President repeated the claim, this time in Scotland.
As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar apprised the House on India’s stand and response to Pahalgam attack, he was interrupted many times by Opposition leaders, forcing a visibly upset Home Minister Amit Shah to get up and berate them, warning that they will continue sitting on opposition’ benches for the next 20 years because they do not have faith in their own foreign minister but on some other country.
Shah said: “…I have an objection that they (Opposition) do not have faith in an Indian Foreign Minister but they have faith in some other country. I can understand the importance of foreign in their party. But this doesn’t mean that all the things of their party should be imposed here in the House. This is the reason why they are sitting there (opposition benches), and will remain sitting there for the next 20 years.”
Seeking to end speculation over any involvement of Trump in ceasefire, Jaishankar, “there was no call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump from April 22 to June 17”. Responding to repeated claims by Trump of mediation in the India-Pakistan confrontation that followed Pahalgam terror attack, Jaishankar also asserted that at no stage, in any conversation with the US, was there any linkage with trade and what was going on between India and Pakistan
But Trump on Monday again said that India and Pakistan would still be warring if not for his intervention. He made the remarks before beginning talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland, according to reports, which added that the US President also repeated his claim that he used trade as leverage to get New Delhi and Islamabad to stop fighting in early May this year
India has consistently denied Trump’s claims that he was instrumental in bringing about the May-10 ceasefire between the two countries. Interestingly, speaking in the Lok Sabha Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda was also quoted as saying “Donald (Trump) ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein McDonald’s ko band karao”, basically that first he government needs to make Trump keep quiet on ceasefire issue.
Meanwhile Jaishankar also went on to remind the House that the Doklam crisis was on, the Leader of Opposition decided to get a briefing not from the government, not from the MEA, but from the Chinese ambassador.
Speaking of India’s growing diplomatic influence, Jaishankar said that the Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, has now been designated a global terrorist organisation. He also emphasised the strong multilateral condemnation of the Pahalgam attack from groups like Quad and BRICS and individual countries.
