Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor slammed US President Donald Trump for offering to mediate in the Kashmir issue at an event in Indore. "We don't need a mediator. We've no trouble in talking to Pakistan. But we can't talk to them if they've guns in one hand & bombs in the other. They should put those down & lock up terrorists," Tharoor said.
Tharoor was replying to a query on media reports stating that the United States has voiced concerns about fears of many countries that following the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani militants might launch terror strikes in India.
Tharoor said, "We remember 26/11 attack on India when 160 people died and after that terror attacks took place at some places. Recently Uri and Pulwama attack took place, so time and again people from Pakistan have crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and attacked us. It is not a new thing. I think that our government must be ready."
He said that in this matter both Congress and BJP's stand are the same. "We can't negotiate with a gun pointed to our heads. It's the position of India. There's no need for a third party. We're not talking to them (Pakistan) right now because they're using terrorists and we can never accept that."
On being asked about US President Donald Trump referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'Father of India', Tharoor said in a lighter vein, "You know who is the father of the nation. Maybe Trump did not know that India attained freedom in 1947 and I think there is a dispute regarding the birth date of Narendra Modi. Maybe it is 1949 or 1950. So it is very difficult that a son is born before the father. So it is very awkward to say that Modi is the father of the nation."
