Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark regarding Narendra Modi’s invitation to Donald Trump’s oath-taking ceremony.
“What is he even saying? The Indian Prime Minister never attends such events abroad. Even if invited, he will not go—that is our policy and tradition,” Jaishankar stated while rejecting Rahul Gandhi’s claims. He accused the opposition leader of making statements that damage India’s global image. “Rahul Gandhi’s lies may serve political purposes, but they are harming our country’s reputation internationally,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the Indian government had approached the U.S. to invite Prime Minister Modi to Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. Jaishankar dismissed this claim as a baseless lie. He clarified that during his U.S. visit in 2024, no such invitation was discussed.
“Rahul Gandhi deliberately misrepresented my 2024 U.S. visit. While speaking in the Lok Sabha during the vote of thanks on the President’s address, he mocked the government’s economic policies and falsely claimed that I was sent to the U.S. to secure an invitation for Modi,” Jaishankar stated.
Jaishankar refuted the claim, emphasizing that no discussions about inviting Modi had taken place. “Our Prime Minister does not attend such events—this is well known. In fact, India is generally represented by special envoys on such occasions,” he explained.
Accusing Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public for political gain, Jaishankar warned that such statements are harmful to India’s global standing. “Rahul Gandhi’s lies might be politically motivated, but they are damaging our nation’s image abroad,” he reiterated.
