"Time To Move On," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar On Trump's Claim Of Kashmir Mediation

While addressing media persons during his weekly briefing, Kumar said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has explained government's position in the Parliament and the State Department has also issued clarification, on the matter.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar/ (Image: ANI)

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday played down US President Donald Trump’s controversial remark claiming Prime Minister Modi sought US mediation to sort out the Kashmir issue. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that it is time to move on from the controversy. Kumar said that the government has already explained its position in the Parliament and even the US States Department has issued a clarification. He went on to assert that India's relationship with US remains very strong.  India-US ties are multifaceted; we have broad and deep convergences across a range of issues, Kumar said. Trump had claimed on Monday that Indian Prime Minister Modi has asked has asked him to play the role of a “mediator” or an “arbitrator” in the Kashmir issue , during his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. "I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said during his talks with Khan, their first since the latter came to power in August, 2018. "Because this has been going on for many, many years. I am surprised that how long. It has been going on (for long)," he said, with Khan responding 70 years. Though, India’s Foreign Ministry strongly denied the claims made by Trump, opposition parties created a massive uproar in the Parliament demanding a clarification by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that PM 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.