Congress MP Manish Tewari on Sunday rebuked US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir, asserting that the conflict is not an ancient or biblical dispute but a modern issue stemming from Pakistan’s 1947 invasion of Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to Trump’s claim of seeking a “solution after a thousand years,” Tewari posted on X, “Someone in the US establishment needs to seriously educate their President… that Kashmir is not a biblical 1000-year-old conflict. It started on October 22, 1947, when Pakistan invaded the Independent State of Jammu & Kashmir, which was subsequently ceded in full to India by Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947.”
Congress also raised concerns about the mention of a “neutral forum” by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which the party fears could undermine the Shimla Agreement and India’s long-standing opposition to third-party mediation.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh demanded an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and a special session of Parliament to deliberate on recent developments, including the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and the India-Pakistan ceasefire.
“The Indian National Congress would like to ask whether diplomatic channels are being reopened between India and Pakistan? What commitments have we sought and received from Pakistan?” Ramesh asked.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, had welcomed the India-Pakistan ceasefire and praised the leadership of both nations, reiterating his belief that the US played a role in facilitating the peace. He further expressed his willingness to mediate the Kashmir issue.
However, India once again dismissed any foreign involvement in the matter, maintaining that the understanding to cease hostilities was mutually agreed upon by the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries. India reaffirmed its consistent policy that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and any resolution will be handled internally.
