New Delhi:
US President Donald Trump’s claim that ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved with the promise of trade, has been denied by sources.
India had earlier sidestepped the claims of the US President that he had been the one to broker peace between the two countries, saying the ceasefire talks were held directly with Pakistan after Islamabad dialled New Delhi.
President Trump had made that announcement minutes before the foreign ministry announced the ceasefire on Saturday. Today, minutes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, President Trump said he told India and Pakistan that his administration will engage in trade with them only if they end the conflict.
President Trump also suggested that the conflict between the two countries could have spiralled into a nuclear war that would have killed millions of people.
Later in the evening, sources said, “After Operation Sindoor commenced, US Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9. Secretary Rubio spoke to the foreign minister S Jaishankar on May 8 and May 10 and to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on May 10. There was no reference to trade in any of these discussions”.
In his address today, PM Modi also reiterated that Pakistan had called with an appeal for ceasefire, bearing the “brunt of the Indian onslaught”.
New Delhi’s stance has always been to refuse third party mediation when it comes to contentious issues with Pakistan, especially Kashmir. Now, President Trump’s announcement has made the Opposition sit up.
The Congress has sought answers from PM Modi on the US claims and reiterated its demand for a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor and the stopping of military action against Pakistan.
“We applaud and salute our armed forces unreservedly. They have done the country proud. We are 100 per cent with them at all times. But the Prime Minister has still much to answer for,” said senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh.
