Congress questions MEA silence as US envoy announces Jaishankar's expected meeting with Rubio

The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at the Modi government over US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's forthcoming visit to India and asked why is the Ministry of External Affairs silent on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's "tryst" with the American leader in Mumbai.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said it is not surprising that US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has just given more details on Rubio's forthcoming visit to Mumbai.

"It is also not wholly surprising to hear him say that Mr Rubio will meet Government of India officials in Mumbai. But what is quite extraordinary is his statement that 'we expect the Minister Dr Jaishankar to be joining us there along with other individuals'," Ramesh said on X.

Since when has the announcement of India's external affairs minister's meetings within India been outsourced to somebody other than the official spokesperson of the MEA, Ramesh asked.

"India gets to know from the US Ambassador just as it first got to know from Mr Rubio himself on the evening of May 10, 2025, that Operation Sindoor had been halted. Why is the MEA silent on the external affairs minister's tryst with Mr Rubio in Mumbai?" he asked.

Ramesh's remarks followed after Sergio Gor during an interactive session at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum said that Rubio will meet Indian government officials in Mumbai and "we expect that minister Dr S Jaishankar will be there along with other individuals from Delhi, who will make a trip up there to see him in Mumbai".

Rubio will travel to India next week to further strengthen energy cooperation, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

Rubio will first visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan, before travelling to Mumbai and Jamnagar in Gujarat from October 17-22, it said.

This will be Rubio's second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad foreign ministers' meeting hosted by Jaishankar in New Delhi.

"He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation," the State Department said.

Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation, it said.