Jaishankar Refutes Rahul Gandhi's Claims on US Visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar strongly refuted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that his visit to Washington was to secure an invitation for the Prime Minister to Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. President. Jaishankar emphasized that such a topic was never discussed, and Gandhi's statements were baseless.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has rejected accusations by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding his visit to the United States in December. Gandhi claimed the trip was aimed at securing an invitation for India's Prime Minister to the inauguration of Donald Trump as the U.S. President.

In a parliamentary debate, Jaishankar said that at no point was the question of an invite raised during the discussions, which included meetings with then Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NSA Jake Sullivan. He termed Gandhi's claims as politically motivated untruths that harm India's reputation abroad.

Gandhi alleged that under an INDIA bloc government, India would not need to request such invitations, emphasizing the importance of self-reliant technological advancements to attract foreign leaders. Jaishankar's visit was the first high-level trip after Trump's election win, lasting from December 24 to 29.