Controversial ‘Greater Bangladesh’ map displayed at Dhaka event sparks diplomatic row over territorial claims and alleged foreign influence. (TDG Archives)
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has decided the Opposition's most inflammatory allegations about a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump when hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan in April and May 2025.
"I want to tell them (Opposition), woh kaan kholke sun le... (listen carefully) From April 22 to June 16, where wasn't one phone call between President Trump and PM Modi," Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha.
In a statement given in the Rajya Sabha on July 30, Jaishankar said there was not such a conversation between April 22, the day of the Pahalgam terror attack, and June 16. The minister emphasized, "I want to tell them (Opposition), woh kaan kholke sun le... (listen carefully) From April 22 to June 16, not a single phone call took place between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi."
He stressed that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was initiated by Pakistan and was not a result of any mediation by an external country. According to him, it was absolutely clear to the countries about India that there was no mediation at all and that there was only possible cessation of hostilities through the formal request of Pakistan through Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO).
"When Operation Sindoor commenced, a number of countries were in touch with us to see how serious the situation was and how long it would go... We gave the same message to all the countries... that we were not open to any mediation," Jaishankar said.
"If that fighting was to stop, Pakistan must make a request. And that request could only come through the channel of the DGMO...," Jaishankar added.
The External Affairs Minister has further stated that on May 9, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance called Prime Minister Modi and warned him of an imminent significant strike by Pakistan, to which Modi replied saying that India's response would be appropriate: "Hum goli ka jawab gole se denge (We will respond to bullets with missiles)."
"When the Pahalgam attack happened on April 22, it was a shocking attack for a variety of reasons...The manner in which people were killed in front of their families, the fact that their faith was asked before killing them, the intent of destroying the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, which had returned to normalcy and prosperity after the end of Article 370. All of this angered the country," he said.
Jaishankar's frank remarks underline that India takes care of its security concerns by itself without others bothering for managing its affairs while asserting that cross-border terrorism will be addressed through bilateral channels.
