Shiv Sena (UBT) leader slams Trump’s assertion of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, emphasizing that India seeks trade with the US on its own terms, while Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi over Trump’s “five jets shot down” claim.
Mumbai, July 20: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has strongly refuted US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan as part of a proposed trade deal with the US.
Chaturvedi criticized Trump’s remarks, asserting that there can be no trade deal with Pakistan due to its alleged sponsorship of terrorism. “There can be no trade deal with Pakistan, only a terrorist deal can be done with them. We are repeatedly saying that the trade deal between India and the US should be on our terms. It is possible that Donald Trump said this under pressure from his domestic audience because he had promised them that a trade deal would be signed, which hasn’t been signed yet,” Chaturvedi said.
India Rejects Trump’s Mediation Claims
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan by leveraging a proposed trade agreement. However, India has consistently maintained that the cessation of hostilities followed direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two nations, dismissing any foreign mediation claims.
Chaturvedi added, “They have made this point for their domestic audience, but it is clear that the DGMO of our country has said that the demand for ceasefire came from there. I will have more confidence in the DGMO of my country in this regard rather than what is being said from there, because the trade deal which they had promised has not yet been signed by the people there, so that pressure is being put.”
She also criticized the inconsistent approach towards Pakistan in diplomacy and sports. “You have been exposed that the match between India and Pakistan is going to be held. Now see that we become a part of Operation Sindoor. Where we were clearly told that Talk and Terrorism Cannot Go Together,” she said.
World Championship of Legends (WCL) Cancels India-Pakistan Match
Notably, the organisers of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) have officially cancelled the scheduled India-Pakistan match and issued an apology for hurting the sentiments of Indian fans.
In its statement, WCL explained that the fixture was initially planned after a recent India-Pakistan volleyball match to create positive memories for fans. However, backlash from Indian players and public sentiment led to its cancellation.
Several Indian cricket legends, including Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, publicly stated that they would not participate in the India-Pakistan game. Other players from the Indian lineup have also reportedly taken a similar stance.
The WCL 2025 tournament, sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), is scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 2 across Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds.
Rahul Gandhi Seeks Clarity on Trump’s “Five Jets Shot Down” Claim
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Trump’s recent comments claiming that “five jets were shot down” during the India-Pakistan conflict.
In a post on X, Gandhi asked, “Modi ji, what is the truth about the 5 ships? The country has the right to know!”
Earlier on Saturday, Trump reiterated his claims:
“We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that were going on. Planes were being shot out of there. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other,” he said.
India, however, has repeatedly clarified that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan, following the success of Operation Sindoor, was entirely bilateral, initiated by Pakistan’s DGMO reaching out to his Indian counterpart.