New Delhi, 22 May

With US President Donald Trump repeating his claim that he settled the recent conflict between India and Pakistan through trade, the Congress on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not rejected this claim even once and asked what does this "silence" mean.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said this is the eighth time President Trump has made this claim that he got Operation Sindoor stopped.

"He claims to have used trade to get India to end Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Modi has not rejected this claim even once. What does this silence mean?" Khera said in a post on X.

In his remarks in the Oval Office during a meeting with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, "If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade." He said the US is doing a "big deal" with both India and Pakistan.

"And I said, 'What are you guys doing?'" Trump said.

"Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we, you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault.

"But... Pakistan has got some excellent people and some really good, great leader. And India is my friend, Modi," Trump said to which the South African president replied, "Modi, mutual friend" .

"He's a Great guy and I called them both. It's something good," Trump said.

The US President has been repeatedly claiming that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure early on 7 May in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on 8, 9 and 10 May. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

On May 10, Trump had announced that India and Pakistan agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks "mediated" by Washington.