Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised former US President Donald Trump for his recent remarks on the Kashmir issue and India-Pakistan relations. Tharoor accused Trump of misrepresenting facts and harming India’s decades-long diplomatic position.
The controversy erupted after Trump claimed that his administration had helped de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan using trade diplomacy. He even reiterated an earlier offer to mediate on the Kashmir issue — a move India has consistently rejected.
In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor called Trump’s comments “deeply disappointing” and said they show a lack of understanding of India’s security concerns and its stance on terrorism.
Tharoor’s 4 Reasons Why Trump’s Comments Hurt India:
1️.False Balance Between Attacker and Victim
Tharoor criticised Trump for drawing a false equivalence between India and Pakistan. He reminded that Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism is well-documented, and the US itself has previously acknowledged it.
“It implies a false equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator,” Tharoor wrote.
2️.Giving Legitimacy to Pakistan
He also slammed Trump for offering a negotiating role to Pakistan on Kashmir.
“India will never negotiate with a terrorist gun pointed at its head,” Tharoor added, stressing that giving Pakistan a seat at the table only encourages bad behaviour.
3️.Trying to Internationalise Kashmir
Trump’s mediation offer, according to Tharoor, plays directly into the hands of terror groups who want to make Kashmir an international issue.
“India has never requested, nor is likely to seek, any foreign country’s mediation,” he wrote.
4️.Re-hyphenating India and Pakistan
Tharoor also warned that Trump's remarks take global diplomacy a step backwards by putting India and Pakistan in the same category again — something Indian diplomacy has worked hard to avoid.
What Did Trump Say?
Speaking to the media at the White House, Trump claimed he used trade diplomacy to defuse tensions between two nuclear-armed countries and had helped “broker a full and immediate ceasefire.”
His offer to mediate on Kashmir resurfaced, despite India repeatedly maintaining that the issue is strictly bilateral and not open to international involvement.
