After US President Donald Trump offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Sunday said that the issue is not a “biblical 100-year-old conflict”, but only started 78 years ago.
In a post on X, Tewari said, “Someone in the US establishment needs to seriously educate their President @POTUS @realDonaldTrump that Kashmir is not a biblical 1000-year-old conflict. It started on October 22, 1947 – 78 years ago when Pakistan invaded the Independent State of Jammu & Kashmir that subsequently was ceded to India in’ FULL’ by Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947 that includes areas illegally occupied by Pakistan till now. How difficult is it to grasp this simple fact?”
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh also reacted and demand an all-party meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister over several issues.
“The Indian National Congress once again demands that an all-party meeting be called under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister and a special session of Parliament be held on the issue of Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor and the cessation of hostilities, announced first in Washington DC and subsequently by the Governments of India and Pakistan, so that all these issues can be discussed comprehensively,” Jairam said.
“The Indian National Congress believes that the mention of a “neutral forum” for dialogue between India and Pakistan by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raises several questions – have we abandoned the Shimla Agreement? Have we opened the door for third party mediation? The Indian National Congress would like to ask whether diplomatic channels are being reopened between India and Pakistan? What commitments have we sought from Pakistan and what have we received?” he questioned further.
This came after President Trump on Sunday welcomed the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan saying that millions of people could have died if the peace had not been worked out. The US President was making a reference to a potential nuclear fallout between the two nations.
In a post on Truth Social, the US President said, “I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions.”
Trump continued to hold on to the claim that the US had helped broker peace and offered to mediate for a solution on Kashmir.
“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision. While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a “thousand years,” a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!”
India has time and again rejected any third-party intervention on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and has unequivocally expressed that the region is an integral part of India.
On Saturday, India also played down the role of the US in achieving an agreement on cessation of hostilities saying that the understanding had been reached between DGMOs of the two countries. (ANI)
