Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 20 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday refuted US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan for a proposed US trade deal.

She emphasised that any deal with Pakistan would likely involve terrorism rather than trade. Chaturvedi stated that there can be no trade deal with Pakistan, only a 'terrorist deal' can be done with them, highlighting the country's alleged support for terrorism.

She emphasised that India wants a trade deal with the US on its own terms, suggesting Trump's comments might be a result of pressure from his domestic audience, given his promise of signing a trade deal that hasn't materialised yet.

'There can be no trade deal with Pakistan, only a terrorist deal can be done with them... We are repeatedly saying that the trade deal between India and the US should be on our terms. So it is possible that Donald Trump said this under pressure from his domestic audience... because he had promised them that a trade deal would be signed, which hasn't been signed yet,' Chaturvedi told ANI.

Trump has repeatedly claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, stating that both countries wanted a trade agreement with the US but would have to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries, dismissing Trump's claims of mediation.

She further added, 'They have made this point for their domestic audience, but it is clear that the DGMO of our country has said that the demand for ceasefire came from there, so we fired the season and that again and again we said he has been there and perhaps when he spoke to the Prime Minister Donald Trump, he also put forward this point.'

Expressing confidence in India's security establishment, she asserted, 'I will have more confidence in the DGMO of my country in this regard. Rather than what is being said from there, because the trade deal which they had promised has not yet been signed by the people there, so that pressure is being put.'

Chaturvedi also pointed out the hypocrisy in the narrative around diplomacy and conflict with Pakistan, especially in the context of sporting events. She said, 'You have been exposed that the match between India and Pakistan is going to be held. Now see that we become a part of Operation Sindoor. Where we were clearly told that Talk and Terrorism Cannot Go Together.'

Notably, the organisers of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) have officially called of the India-Pakistan match and apologised for hurting sentiments and hopes of people.

In its statement WCL said that It had announced the India-Pak fixture after a recent volleyball match between the two countries to create happy memories for fans. The tournament says that this may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and caused discomfort to the Indian legends.

In the wake of this a decision to call off the fixture was taken. WCL further apologised for hurting sentiments.

Earlier, several Indian players like Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan also informed the media that they would not be playing the India-Pakistan game. Sources also say some other players in the India line-up have also taken a similar stance.

Scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 2 across Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds, WCL 2025 brings together the heroes of yesteryears in a summer spectacle sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raised sharp questions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an explanation about the US President Donald Trump's 'five jets shot down' claims made in his speech.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, 'Modi ji, what is the truth about the 5 ships? The country has the right to know!'

Earlier on Saturday, Trump once again claimed to have halted the escalation of the India-Pakistan conflict.

'We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that were going on. Planes were being shot out of there. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. You know, it seems like a new form of warfare. You saw it recently when you looked at what we did in Iran, where we knocked out their nuclear capability, totally knocked out that,' he said.

India has repeatedly said that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan following the success of Operation Sindoor did not come about due to any mediation, and it happened after Pakistan's DGMO called his Indian counterpart. (ANI)