A paramilitary trooper stands guard after a ceremony to mark the 85th Martyr’s Day in Srinagar. It marks Maharaja Hari Singh’s use of force in 1931 to quell protests against his rule, resulting in the death of 23 Muslims. Pic/AFP

India yesterday asserted that cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was at the "heart" of the matter that was threatening regional peace and snubbed China for its offer to mediate to resolve the Kashmir issue, insisting it was a bilateral matter between it and Pakistan.