Rajnath Holds Telephonic Conversation With US Defence Secy; Raises Issue Of Cross-Border Terrorism

Singh also conveyed to Esper that issues relating to abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution are internal matters of India.

Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held a conversation over phone with his US counterpart Mark T Esper on Tuesday, during which he raised the issue of cross-border terrorism directed against India, officials said. Singh also conveyed to Esper that issues relating to abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution are internal matters of India. US Defence Secretary termed recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir as internal matter of India, officials said. "The US secretary of defence appreciated India's position that the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir are internal matter of India. He hoped that any issue between India and Pakistan will be resolved bilaterally," one of the officials said. US President Donald Trump, on Monday, asked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to "moderate" his rhetoric against India over Kashmir, as he underlined the need of exercising restraint by both sides and avoid escalation of the "tough situation" in the region. Trump on Monday spoke separately to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Khan in his bid to ease fresh Indo-Pak tensions after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5. Trump's counsel to Khan came as Prime Minister Modi, during his telephonic conversation with the US president, conveyed that the "extreme rhetoric and incitement" to anti-India violence by certain leaders in the region was not conducive to peace.