NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON – Another dramatic twist in US-India relations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliberately sidestepped an in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump after learning White House planned to host Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal General Asim Munir.
A startling report shared by Bloomberg mentioned that Donald Trump repeatedly took credit of brokering truce between Pakistan and India boasting that he had prevented nuclear war, a narrative that infuriated Modi led administration in New Delhi.
On June 17, after leaving the G7 summit in Canada early, Trump called Modi for 35 tense minutes. According to the report, Modi bluntly told Trump that the ceasefire was a direct deal between New Delhi and Islamabad at Pakistan’s request and that India would “never accept” third-party mediation.
When aides informed Modi of Trump’s plans to roll out the red carpet for Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Indian leader saw it as legitimising Pakistan’s military, which he viewed as a ‘rogue force’. Fearing Trump might arrnage face-to-face meeting with Asim Munir, Modi rejected White House invitation during return journey, citing scheduled visit to Croatia.
In weeks that followed, the tone from Washington turned sharply hostile. Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, and termed India “dead” economy, lambastiong its “obnoxious” trade barriers, and two leaders have not spoken since that fiery June exchange.
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