Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi a 'weak' prime minister for accepting US use of 'Indian-administered Kashmir'

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a weak prime minister for accepting the US referring to Kashmir as "Indian-administered Kashmir". 

He also attacked PM Modi for not discussing the H1-B visa issue during his recent talks with US President Donald Trump. “India has a weak PM”, he tweeted.

On June 26, designating Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin a "global terrorist", the US in a statement referred to the northern state as "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir".

Last week, the Centre had defended the US use of the term and had said that it affirmed India's position that Salahuddin is involved in "cross-border" terrorism, reported ANI.

"Use of term 'Indian-administered J&K' affirms our position that Syed Salahuddin been involved in cross-border terrorism against India," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

"India's consistent position that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India is well known," the MEA added.

ALSO READ | PM Modi, President Trump skip discussion on contentious H-1B visa issue

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

The H-1B visa issue that was looming on the Indo-US relationship in the run up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden meeting with President Donald Trump did not figure in the talks between the two leaders.

With the Trump administration undertaking a review of the H-1B visa, the most sought-after by Indian IT professionals, the issue had taken centrestage ahead of Modi’s US visit with the issue expected to figure prominently in bilateral discussions.

However, the H-1B issue specifically did not figure in the talks with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar telling reporters that there was a lot of discussion with business leaders and the two leaders about the digital partnership when asked about whether H-1B visa issue figured in the talks.

ALSO READ | India plays down use of 'Indian administered' Jammu and Kashmir by US

(With inputs from agencies)