'For 37 days, PM didn't say anything': Congress questions PM Modi's silence on Trump's mediation claim; demands all-party meeting
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh and PM Modi (R)
NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call an all-party meeting to brief opposition leaders about India's stand on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediation between India and Pakistan.
Jairam Ramesh raised questions over PM Modi's silence for over a month after his phone call with President Trump during the G7 Summit in Canada. "Now, for 37 days, the Prime Minister did not say anything. Now, today, we are told that he had a 35-minute call with President Trump, and there is a readout of what the Prime Minister is supposed to have said to Mr Trump. President Trump has also put out a statement from the White House; there is a difference between the two statements.
Normally, these statements are different because they appeal to different audiences," Ramesh said.
He added, "For 37 days, the Prime Minister has kept quiet. And today, we are being asked to believe that this is what he told President Trump. All I'm saying is..... Why can't the Prime Minister call an all-party meeting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Take the opposition party leaders into confidence and say the same thing which has been put out today by the foreign secretary."
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Ramesh also criticised Trump for inviting Pakistan army chief Asim Munir to a one-on-one lunch at the White House. He said, "He should have made the US President aware of the direct link between Asim Munir's inflammatory, incendiary, provocative, absolutely unacceptable remarks that he made, which gave oxygen to the Pahalgam terrorists. Pahalgam terrorist attack was a reflection of those remarks of General Asim Munir and the same person is now being invited for a one-on-one lunch with President Trump.
.. In my view, this is an absolute insult to India."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also raised doubts over PM Modi's statement. "Modi's people are saying this, but President Trump should tweet about it and say that he takes back his words. Who will believe what PM Modi will say now?" Raut said.
Their remarks came after foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that PM Modi spoke to US President Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada. The conversation lasted about 35 minutes and focused mainly on India's recent counterterror operation in Pakistan, called
Operation Sindoor
.
According to Misri, "Prime Minister Modi made it clear to President Trump that during this entire episode, at no time, at any level, were issues such as the India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan discussed. The halt to military action was discussed directly between India and Pakistan, through existing channels of the two armies, and was at the request of Pakistan."
He also said, "Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it.
There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue."
President Trump has claimed several times in the past that he helped stop hostilities between India and Pakistan by using trade talks. However, Misri said that Trump listened carefully and expressed his support for India's fight against terrorism.
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