New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading "falsehood" regarding the minister's visit to Washington in December.
During a debate on the 'Motion of Thanks' to the President's address in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi suggested that Jaishankar’s trip was aimed at securing an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.
Rejecting the claim, Jaishankar took to social media platform ‘X’, stating, “Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024.”
Clarifying the purpose of his visit, Jaishankar said he traveled to the US to meet then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, as well as to chair a meeting of India's Consuls General. He also noted that the incoming US NSA-designate had met with him during the trip.
“At no stage was an invitation in respect of the PM discussed. It is common knowledge that our PM does not attend such events. In fact, India is generally represented by Special Envoys,” the minister asserted.
Jaishankar further criticized Gandhi, stating, “Rahul Gandhi's lies may be intended politically. But they damage the nation abroad.”
The external affairs minister's six-day visit to the US from December 24 to 29 marked the first high-level engagement between India and Washington after Trump's electoral victory. Last month, Jaishankar officially represented India at Trump's swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States.
