In a first highest-level interaction since India announced the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday. Adding to the bilateral and regional issues, the 30-minute phone call also marked the warmth and cordiality characterising the relations between the two leaders. This call between the two supremos took prominence as it came days after the UN Security Council backed India in its efforts to bring in development in Kashmir after revoking its special status.
According to a statement released by MEA, PM Modi stated that extreme rhetoric and incitement to anti-India violence by certain leaders in the region was not conducive to peace. This is an obvious reference to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been making provocative comments from the past few days on Twitter. The two leaders emphasised the importance of creating a terror and violence-free environment in their call. PM Modi also reiterated India’s commitment to cooperate with any country that followed this path, in fighting poverty, illiteracy and disease. “The President conveyed the importance of reducing tensions between India and Pakistan to maintain peace in the region” read a statement from the White House.
India’s decision to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and to bifurcate it into two Union Territories, evoked strong reactions from Pakistan. Imran Khan on Sunday took to Twitter to post few defamatory tweets calling the Indian government “fascist” and “supremacist” and that India’s nuclear arsenal is not just impacting region but the world.