New Delhi [India], June 18 : The Congress on Wednesday termed as "puzzling" Modi government saying there was no mediation in the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan and Donald Trump continuing to be adamant on his own claim about brokering peace and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should state what he told the US President.
"This morning, Modi government issued a statement in Hindi, which said that Narendra Modi clearly told Donald Trump that 'he has no role in the ceasefire, and we do not accept any mediation. The ceasefire was not done because of trade.' But within a few hours, Trump has now said 'I stopped the war between India and Pakistan. I love Pakistan. Modi is a wonderful man. I talked to him last night. Now we will also sign a trade deal with him. Asim Munir was influential in stopping the war from Pakistan's side and Modi among others did so from India. But I stopped the war between India and Pakistan'. This is indeed very puzzling," the party said on X.
"The Modi government is saying something else and Trump continues to be adamant on his own claim - which he has now made for the 15th time in the last 38 days. The reality is that the information about the ceasefire was first shared by Trump on X and not the Indian Government. Why is Narendra Modi not able to state openly all that he allegedly told Trump over the phone? India awaits answers. This is a matter of our national security and sovereignty and cannot be treated so recklessly," the party added.
Donald Trump on Wednesday again reiterated his claim of brokering peace between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and said he stopped "the war between the two nuclear nations".
He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming him a "fantastic man".
"Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan. I love Pakistan. I think PM Modi is a fantastic man; I spoke to him last night. We will have a trade deal with PM Modi of India. I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistani side. PM Modi from the Indian side and others. And they are going at it. Both are nuclear countries. they got to stop. I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations. I don't think I had a story written on it....," Trump stated, according to US Network Pool via Reuters.
He was speaking at a flagpole installation event at the White House's South Lawn.
Trump was asked about his upcoming meeting with Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir.
India hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK under Operation Sindoor early on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. India also effectively responded to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases.
The two countries decided to stop military action after Pakistan DGMO called his Indian counterpart.
Prime Minister Modi and President Trump were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada. However, President Trump had to return to the US early, due to which this meeting could not take place.
After this, at the request of President Trump, both leaders spoke over a phone call and the conversation lasted approximately 35 minutes, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement on Wednesday.
Misri said President Trump had expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Modi over a phone call after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. And he also expressed his support against terrorism.
Prime Minister Modi spoke in detail about Operation Sindoor with President Trump.
He told President Trump in clear terms that after April 22, India had conveyed its determination to take action against terrorism to the whole world.
The Prime Minister said that on the night of May 6-7, India had only targeted the terrorist camps and hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. India's actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory. India had also made it clear that any act of aggression from Pakistan would be met with a stronger response.
On the night of May 9-10, India gave a strong and decisive response to Pakistan's attack, inflicting significant damage on the Pakistani military. Their military airbases were rendered inoperable. Due to India's firm action, Pakistan was compelled to request a cessation of military operations.
Misri said that PM Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US Trade Deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan.
The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan's request.
PM Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter.
President Trump listened carefully to the points conveyed by the Prime Minister and expressed his support towards India's fight against terrorism, Misri said. Prime Minister Modi also stated that India no longer views terrorism as a proxy war, but as a war itself, and that India's Operation Sindoor is still ongoing.
Trump has made similar claims earlier, even talking of trade, and
India has repeatedly said that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan did not come about due to any mediation and it happened after Pakistan DGMO called his Indian counterpart.
"The specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on May 10, 2025 commencing 1535 hrs," MEA spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal had said at a media briefing.
"As regards conversations with other nations, the message from India was clear and consistent. And exactly the same message that we were conveying from public platforms was the one conveyed in private conversations," he added.