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'Kaan kholke sun le...': Jaishankar's message to Opposition on Modi-Trump phone call
S Jaishankar's remarks came amid Opposition's questions to the government on Donald Trump claiming credit for the ceasefire in the India-Pakistan conflict.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday clarified that there was no phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump between April 22, the day the Pahalgam terror attack took place, and June 16.
"I want to tell them (Opposition), woh kaan kholke sun le... (listen carefully) From April 22 to June 16, where wasn't one phone call between President Trump and PM Modi," Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha.
The minister's remarks came amid Opposition's questions to the government on Donald Trump claiming credit for the ceasefire in the India-Pakistan military conflict.
Jaishankar also reiterated that there was no third-party intervention in the India-Pak ceasefire, and that all issues with Pakistan will be dealt with bilaterally.
The government has time and again rejected Trump's assertion that a mediation from the United States led to the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan back in May.
"...When Operation Sindoor commenced, a number of countries were in touch with us to see how serious the situation was and how long it would go... We gave the same message to all the countries... that we were not open to any mediation," Jaishankar said.
He clarified that all countries which got in touch with India were informed that a fight with Pakistan would continue until a request through the channel of the DGMO in Pakistan.
"If that fighting was to stop, Pakistan must make a request. And that request could only come through the channel of the DGMO...," Jaishankar added.
Repeating what PM Modi said on Tuesday, Jaishankar said US Vice President JD Vance called on May 9, warning that Pakistan was planning a huge attack on India. To this, PM Modi replied that India's response would be appropriate, he said. “‘Hum goli ka jawab gole se denge (We will respond to bullets with missiles)',” the Prime Minister had said earlier.
Speaking about the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, Jaishankar noted that that incident was "absolutely unacceptable" and crossed India's "red line".
"When the Pahalgam attack happened on April 22, it was a shocking attack for a variety of reasons...The manner in which people were killed in front of their families, the fact that their faith was asked before killing them, the intent of destroying the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, which had returned to normalcy and prosperity after the end of Article 370. All of this angered the country," he said.
Ever since May 10, the day India and Pakistan declared a truce amid a military conflict, Donald Trump has claimed multiple times that he was behind the ceasefire agreement. While India has repeatedly rejected this assertion, Pakistan has thanked Trump for his "role" in bringing about the understanding.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
