Donald Trump reiterates Kashmir mediation offer, says 'it is really up to PM Modi'

US President Donald Trump reiterated his Kashmir mediation offer on Friday. According to news agency ANI, Trump reportedly renewed his offer with more focus on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It is really up to PM Modi. And I met with Prime Minister (Imran) Khan, I got along great. I think they’re a fantastic people, Khan and Modi. I mean I would imagine they can get along very well… If they wanted somebody to intervene (on Kashmir issue) or to help them... and I spoke with Pakistan about that, and I spoke, frankly, to India about it. But that’s been going on, that battle, for a long time,” the US President was quoted as saying.

This is the second time that the US President has made such statement on Kashmir. Earlier in July, Trump had claimed that PM Modi had asked his ‘help’ to resolve the Kashmir issue. The statement was quickly trashed by New Delhi. The Kashmir mediation offer was also rejected in the Rajya Sabha by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Congress, however, had demanded a statement by PM Modi.

Following the stern protest by India, the White House went back to traditional narrative that Kashmir was a bilateral issue and should be resolved by New Delhi and Islamabad on their own. But the flip flop continued with a Trump advisor backing the US President on his mediation claims and said that he ‘won’t make things up.’ When asked about Trump’s mediation claim whether it is true or not, Trump's Chief Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow had said, “The President does not make anything up. That's a very rude question in my opinion. I am going to stay out of that. It's outside of my lane. It's for Mr (National Security Advisor John) Bolton, Mr (Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo and President, so I am not going to comment on that. President does not make things up.”

RELATED