Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday said the government should make it clear to the world that Kashmir is neither an international issue nor a bilateral one.
In a tweet, Thackeray said the only thing that is bilateral is the area under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which belongs to India.
"I hope today it is made clear to the world by the Govt of India that Kashmir is not a part of any discussions. Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always be.
"It is NOT an international issue, not even a bilateral issue. The only thing bilateral about it is the area PoK. The occupation. That region belongs to India and has to be returned to India," he said in a tweet.
Thackeray's reaction came days after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all military actions.
India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7 to avenge the killings of 26 people in the Pahalgam terror attack. Indian armed forces targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists.
Pakistan's attempt to target several Indian military bases were repelled by armed forces by launching a fierce counter-attack on several military installations, including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian.
When both countries teetered on the brink of a full-blown conflict, US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire, claiming that it was a result of the US-mediated talks.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect.
On Sunday, government sources asserted that India will never accept mediation in the Kashmir issue and the only matter to discuss is Pakistan returning the territory, which is under its illegal occupation.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
