Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday delivered a subtle yet firm message to Pakistan while thanking US President Donald Trump for his Diwali greetings.
In a post on X, PM Modi thanked Trump for his phone call on the occasion of Diwali and called upon the "two great democracies" to "stand united against terrorism".
"Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms," PM Modi said, hours after his telephonic call with Trump.
While Trump had said that the two leaders discussed trade, India's purchase of Russian oil and Pakistan, PM Modi did not give any details of his conversation with the US President and simply singled out the need to combat terror in all its forms.
Modi's message on terror comes amid a turnaround in ties between US and Pakistan, driven primarily by Islamabad’s overt flattery of Trump and lofty promises linked to oil and cryptocurrency.
The remark also assumes significance given Pakistan’s history of harbouring terror groups and offering them safe haven. India launched Operation Sindoor in May against Pakistan-based terror networks, weeks after terrorists from across the border killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The attack was preceded by an incendiary speech by Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir, who claimed that Hindus and Muslims are fundamentally different in every aspect of life.
While ties between India and US have remained tense due to tricky trade negotiations, Pakistan has used the opportunity to project itself as a close ally of Washington, especially in the aftermath of military escalation in May during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan has gladly parrotted Trump's claims that he "stopped the war" with India even though New Delhi has asserted that a ceasefire understanding was reached between the two countries without any mediation from a third country.
Thus, PM Modi's remark that the two powerful democracies must stand united against terror carries a strong message for Pakistan and subtle reminder to US.
Earlier, during Diwali celebrations at the White House, Trump praised PM Modi following their phone call and called him a "great person" and "great friend".
"Let me extend our warmest wishes to the people of India. I just spoke to your Prime Minister today. Had a great conversation. We talked about trade... He's very interested in that. Although we did talk a little while ago about let's have no wars with Pakistan. The fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that. And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing," Trump said.
The US President also repeated his earlier claim that PM Modi had assured him India wouldn't buy much oil from Russia.
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