Jaishankar Clarifies India's Stand On Trump's Remark, Rajya Sabha Adjourned After Ruckus

Jaishankar said all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday clarified India's stand in Rajya Sabha saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no request to US President Donald Trump to mediate on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.

New Delhi: Amid a massive controversy over the US President Donald Trump's claim, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday clarified India's stand in Rajya Sabha saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no request to US President Donald Trump to mediate on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan. "I would like to categorically state that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President," he said after Congress and other opposition parties raised the issue in the House. He further said it has been the consistent position of India that all outstanding issues with Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally. "Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism," he said. "The Shimla Agreement & the Lahore declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India & Pakistan bilaterally," he added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha: It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism. https://t.co/TjyYot4q5t

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2019

Opposition parties were, however, not satisfied by the statement of the External Affairs Minister and wanted the Prime Minister to come to the House and clarify. They were raising slogans of 'Pradhanmantri jawab do, jawab do,jawab do', seeking a reply from PM in Parliament on statement of US President that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue. This led to heated exchange between opposition benches and the Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, who adjourned proceedings till 1200 hours. Also Watch | Trump lied 17 times a day in year 2018: Washington Post report US President Donald Trump during his meeting with Pakistan PM Imran Khan had on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Modi had asked him to play the role of a mediator on Kashmir. The Indian government has denied Trump's astonishing claim. Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, welcomed Trump's offer of mediation. "Bilaterally there will never be (a resolution of the Kashmir dispute)," Khan told Fox News, the favourite channel of president trump.