New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) – Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a sharp dig at the government, claiming that an INDIA bloc-led administration would not have sent its foreign minister to the United States to seek an invitation for the prime minister to attend the American president's "coronation." His remarks, made during the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, sparked an immediate and heated response from the ruling BJP.
Gandhi, in his speech, painted a contrasting picture of what a presidential address under an INDIA bloc government might look like. "When we talk to the US, we wouldn't send our Foreign Minister to invite our PM to his (US President's) coronation. We will not send our foreign minister 3-4 times (to say) please invite our prime minister... because if we had a production system and were working on these technologies, the US President would come here and invite the PM," he said.
His comments triggered strong protests from the treasury benches, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju objecting to what he called "unsubstantiated allegations" on India's foreign policy.
The remarks appeared to reference External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to the US before President Donald Trump's inauguration. Jaishankar had traveled to the US in December 2024 and later represented India at Trump's swearing-in on January 20.
In a sharp rebuttal, Jaishankar accused Gandhi of spreading "falsehoods" and misleading the public. "Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024," Jaishankar wrote on social media platform 'X'.
Clarifying the purpose of his visit, Jaishankar stated that he had met then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, besides chairing a meeting of India's Consuls General. "During my stay, the incoming NSA-designate met with me," he added, emphasizing that "at no stage was an invitation in respect of the PM discussed."
Jaishankar also pointed out that India's prime minister does not typically attend such events and that the country is generally represented by special envoys. "Rahul Gandhi's lies may be intended politically. But they damage the nation abroad," he asserted.
The external affairs minister had undertaken a six-day visit to the US from December 24 to 29, marking the first high-level engagement from India following Trump's victory in the US presidential election. Last month, he formally represented India at Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
The exchange underscored the deep political divisions over India's foreign policy and diplomatic engagements, with both sides standing firm on their narratives.
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