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Top sources rubbished US President Donald Trump’s claims, saying trade had found no mention in the three calls that the US had made to India on May 9 and May 10
Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir was also rebuffed by PM Modi (left) without naming the US. (AP File)
India is treading a fine line with the United States (US) with regard to Operation Sindoor, amid the Opposition picking up Donald Trump’s remarks to target the government. Without naming the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Monday, made it clear that no third party had influenced India’s decision to pause hostilities with Pakistan since May 10.
Trump had announced the ‘ceasefire’ between India and Pakistan on May 10, even before India and Pakistan could declare so. Then on Monday, just before Modi’s address to the nation, Trump said he had told India and Pakistan that there would be no trade with them if they don’t stop hostilities.
“If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade. People have never really used trade the way I used it. By that, I can tell you, and all of a sudden they said. I think we’re gonna stop, and they have,” Trump said on Monday.
The Congress has picked this up to target Modi.
Government sources, however, were quick to counter, pointing out that Trump and the US found no mention in the PM’s address. In fact, top sources also rubbished Trump’s claims saying trade had found no mention in the three calls that the US had made to India on May 9 and May 10 before the hostilities were paused. US Vice-President J D Vance had spoken to the PM on May 9, while US Secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Ministers S Jaishankar as well as National Security Adviser on May 10. India has been categorical that in no conversation did the US mention the trade aspect and only asked for de-escalation.
Modi, in fact, was unmoved by the call by Vance on May 9, telling the US V-P that he won’t offer any off-ramp to Pakistan, and promised a devastating response to Pakistan if it continues to act against India. India did so on May 10 morning by attacking a dozen air bases of Pakistan with missiles. Jaishankar’s response to Rubio was similar, after Rubio said that Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir had told him he was ready to stop military action. Rubio was told by Jaishankar as well as Doval to “let Pakistan DGMO say so directly to India”, and not through the US.
“After India’s aggressive action, Pakistan started looking for ways to escape. Pakistan was pleading to the world to ease tensions. After suffering heavy lossesPakistan’s army contacted our DGMO on the afternoon of May 10. When Pakistan appealed and said that it will not indulge in any sort of terror activities or military audacity further, India considered it,” the PM said in his address, discounting the US role.
Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir was also rebuffed by Modi without naming the US. “The only talk with Pakistan will be on terror and PoK,” Modi announced.
On Tuesday, India also proposed to impose retaliatory duties under the WTO (World Trade Organisation) norms against the US over American tariffs on steel and aluminium in the name of safeguard measures. “The safeguard measures would affect $7.6-billion imports into the US of the relevant products originating in India, on which the duty collection would be $1.91 billion,” a WTO communication said.
All these developments are coming ahead of the landmark India-US trade deal expected by fall this year. During Vance’s visit to India, it was declared that both sides had made excellent progress on it.
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