Following US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate between India and China on what he called a “raging border dispute” and subsequently saying that PM Narendra Modi was not in a good mood when he spoke to him on this matter, sources in the Indian establishment have said that Trump and Modi have not been in touch over the recent border stand-off between India and China.
This came in after President Trump in an interaction at the Oval office said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was angry when he spoke to him over this matter.
Also Read: US President Trump signs executive order targetting social media platforms
Sources have indicated that the latest conversation between the two leaders took place on April 4 over the export of the anti-malarial drug ‘Hydroxychloroquine’.
“I can tell you; I did speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is not in a good mood over what is going on with China,” Trump said.
“They have a big conflict..India and China. Two countries with 1.4 billion people (each). Two countries with very powerful militaries. India is not happy and China is not happy,” Trump added.
Earlier in the week, Trump had offered to mediate between the two countries and help them settle the pending border dispute.
India has reiterated that this is a bilateral dispute and it is in touch with the Chinese through various diplomatic and other channels”.
This is not the first time that US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate between India and its neighbours.
A furore was created in the Parliament in July 2019 when the US President had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen on having him as a mediator in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.
The opposition members tried to corner Modi and sought to know whether India has changed its official policy with respect to J&K.
The External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar had issued a statement of denial in the parliament.
On July 23, he said: “I would like to categorically state that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President.”
He reiterated India’s position that all disputes with Pakistan shall be settled only bilaterally in accordance with the Simla and Lahore agreements.