Sanjay Raut Challenges Trump's Kashmir Mediation Comments

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has publicly challenged former US President Donald Trump's recent comments offering mediation in the longstanding Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. Raut, during a press conference in Mumbai, questioned Trump's authority to intervene, likening his attempts to those of a village headman, or 'Sarpanch.'

Trump praised the leadership of India and Pakistan for de-escalating tensions, invoking the potential avoidance of millions of deaths in a nuclear standoff. He emphasized America's role in the peace process and expressed intentions to increase trade and mediate a historic resolution on Kashmir, despite India's firm opposition to outside interference.

India maintains a rigid stance on Jammu and Kashmir, rejecting any foreign involvement and asserting its territorial claims. The region has consistently been a point of contention, with India emphasizing its strategic autonomy regarding the issue, grounding its stance in the Simla Agreement's terms.

(With inputs from agencies.)