India calls out Trump lie

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not made any request to US President Donald Trump regarding mediation with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

"I would like to categorically assure the House that no such request has been made by Prime Minister Modi," Jaishankar told the Upper House.

Jaishankar said, "It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism."

The Shimla Agreement & the Lahore declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India & Pakistan bilaterally, Jaishankar told parliamentarians.

President Trump, during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, had claimed that Modi had requested him to meditate on the long-pending issue.

"So, I was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject.

And he actually said, would you actually like to be a mediator or arbitrator? Did I say, where? He said Kashmir because this has been going for many, many years. I was surprised at how long it has been going on," Trump said at the White House, with Khan seated next to him.

Soon after Trump's comments, the Ministry of External Affairs had also said that no such request was made, adding that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.

"We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet on Monday.