Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has taken a jibe at the Modi government over US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s proposed India visit on October 17, saying in a post on X that “Mr. Rubio has summoned his employee to Mumbai,” while the Congress questioned why the Ministry of External Affairs has stayed silent on a possible meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Rahul Says MEA Officials Are Confused
Addressing the Prime Minister, Gandhi said Ministry of External Affairs officials are confused about what is actually going on with Rubio’s visit, and that perhaps Modi could explain it to them, or he himself could do so if the Prime Minister wished.
Jairam Ramesh Questions Who Is Announcing Meetings
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X that more details of Rubio’s upcoming Mumbai trip had been given by the US ambassador to India, which was not surprising, nor was it entirely unexpected that Rubio would meet Indian government officials in Mumbai. He called it odd that the US ambassador said Dr. Jaishankar is also expected to join them there, asking why meetings of India’s foreign minister held inside the country are being announced by the other side rather than by the MEA’s official spokesperson.
Operation Sindoor Remark and Question on MEA’s Silence
Ramesh also referred to Operation Sindoor, claiming India first learned from Rubio on the evening of May 10, 2025 that the operation had been halted. Attacking the government, he asked why the MEA is silent on the proposed Rubio-Jaishankar meeting in Mumbai.
Origin of the Controversy
The row stems from remarks by US ambassador Sergio Gor at a session of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, where he said Rubio would meet Indian government officials in Mumbai and expressed hope that Dr. S. Jaishankar, who would travel to Mumbai to meet Rubio, would be present.
