External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over a remark he made in the Lok Sabha during his speech earlier in the afternoon. Jaishankar said that the Leader of Opposition “deliberately” spoke a falsehood about his visit to the United States 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," Jaishankar said.
He said that at no stage was an invitation in respect of the Prime Minister was discussed. "It is common knowledge that our PM does not attend such events. In fact, India is generally represented by Special Envoys."
Jaishankar opined that Rahul Gandhi’s lies may be intended politically, but they damage the reputation of the nation abroad.
Rahul Gandhi's dig on Jaishankar and PM Modi
While speaking at the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rahul Gandhi had said, "When we interact with the US, we wouldn't send our Foreign Minister to invite our PM to their events. If we had a robust production system and were advancing our technology, the US President would come to India and invite our PM instead."
The remark was made by Gandhi in the view of Jaishankar attending Trump’s inauguration event in the White House last month.
