External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “deliberately speaking a falsehood” regarding his visit to the United States and claims about attempts to secure an invite for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar stated, “Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024. I went to meet the Secretary of State and NSA of the Biden Administration. Also to chair a gathering of our Consuls General. During my stay, the incoming NSA-designate met with me. 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. Rahul Gandhi’s lies may be intended politically. But they damage the nation abroad.”
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024.
I went to meet the Secretary of State and NSA of the Biden Administration. Also to chair a gathering of our Consuls General. During my stay, the incoming NSA-designate met…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 3, 2025
His remarks came after a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha, where Rahul Gandhi alleged that Jaishankar had been sent to the US to ensure an invitation for Prime Minister Modi to attend Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President.
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Rahul Gandhi’s Claim On Trump Invite Prompts Union Minister Rijiju’s Condemnation
During the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, the Congress leader referred to Trump’s inauguration event and remarked, “When we talk to the United States, we would not send the foreign minister three-four times to get an invite for our Prime Minister because if we had a production system and we were working on these technologies, the US President would come here and invite the Prime Minister.”
The statement led to sharp protests from the treasury benches, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objecting to what he termed an “unsubstantiated” claim. “The Leader of the Opposition cannot make such serious, unsubstantiated statements. This is about the relationship between two countries. He is making unverified statements about the invitation of our Prime Minister. He should be responsible. If the Leader of the Opposition has the information, he must tell the House who has told him that the Foreign Minister visited for this purpose,” Rijiju said.
In response, Rahul Gandhi quipped, “I am sorry if that question disturbed you. I apologise for disturbing your peace of mind. I am sorry.”
Rijiju, however, demanded a formal apology, stating, “The Leader of the Opposition must be serious.”
Jaishankar had attended Trump’s inauguration on January 20 as India’s representative. Prime Minister Modi spoke to Trump days after the event and is expected to visit the US soon.
