New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US President Donald Trump repeating his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan using trade, and said "no wonder" the American leader's good friend in New Delhi "does not want to hug him any more".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a video clip of Trump's remarks in Japan in which he repeated his claim that he stopped the India-Pakistan military conflict using trade.

"So far he has said it 54 times. He has said it in the US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UK. He has said it mid-flight and on land. Now President Trump has said it again, while addressing business leaders in Japan last evening," Ramesh said on X.

"No wonder his good friend in New Delhi does not want to hug him any more," the Congress leader said.

In his remarks in Japan on Tuesday, Trump reiterated that he ended the India-Pakistan military conflict.

"A lot of the wars that I stopped were because of tariffs. And, frankly, I did a great service to the world because of tariffs, because of trade. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it.

"Seven planes were shot down. Seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down, and they were going at it, two big nuclear powers. I said to Prime Minister Modi, and I said to the prime minister and the Field Marshal over in Pakistan, I said that we're not going to do any trade if you're going to be fighting," Trump said.

"(They said) 'no, no, one thing has nothing to do with the other' and I said it has a lot to do with the other. We said we are not doing any deals if you are going to fight and in about 24 hours that was the end of that, it was amazing," the US president said, referring to the stopping of the India-Pakistan conflict in May.

Last month, in his address to world leaders from the UN podium, Trump had repeated his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.

India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.

The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.

Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.

"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."

When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."

"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.

The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.

Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.

Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"

Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."

"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.

Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.

"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.