"Kaan kholke sun le": Jaishankar refutes Trump claim, says no Modi call between April 22 and June 16

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday told Parliament that there was no phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Donald Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict earlier this year. He said no such call took place between April 22, when the Pahalgam terror attack occurred, and June 16. His clarification followed repeated claims by Donald Trump that he played a role in securing the ceasefire.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar stated, "Kaan kholke sun le… from April 22 to June 16, there wasn't one phone call between President Trump and PM Modi." He added that all interactions with Pakistan were handled bilaterally and dismissed any third-party involvement. He said India’s position was clearly communicated to all countries that reached out after tensions escalated.

Jaishankar mentioned that after Operation Sindoor began, several countries contacted India to understand the situation, but India responded uniformly. He said, “We gave the same message to all the countries... that we were not open to any mediation.” He clarified that India had stated the fighting would continue until a formal request for ceasefire was received through the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) channel in Pakistan.

The minister said that on May 9, US Vice President JD Vance informed India that Pakistan was planning a major attack. Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi responded by saying India’s reaction would be appropriate. He quoted Modi as saying, “Hum goli ka jawab gole se denge.” On May 10, a ceasefire was declared between India and Pakistan.

Referring to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, Jaishankar said it was a “shocking” incident that crossed India’s “red line.” He noted that victims were targeted based on their faith and that the attack aimed at disrupting normalcy and economic recovery in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370.