US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's proposed October 20-22 visit was first announced by the US State Department. The controversy deepened after US envoy Sergio Gor said US officials 'expect' S Jaishankar to meet Rubio in Mumbai.
Rahul Gandhi, S Jaishankar and Marco Rubio
New Delhi,Oct 16, 2026 18:21 IST
The secrecy surrounding US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming India visit and the decision to "skip" Delhi has prompted the Congress to question whether Washington was dictating India's foreign policy. The controversy deepened after US envoy Sergio Gor recently said US officials "expect" External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to meet Rubio in Mumbai. It has prompted the Congress to ask whether the MEA had "left it to others" to announce the minister's engagements within India.
The MEA eventually confirmed on Friday that Jaishankar would indeed be meeting Rubio in Mumbai next week. Rubio, who will be on his second visit to India in six months, will be going to Mumbai and Jamnagar in Gujarat. Jamnagar is home to Reliance Industries' refinery. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump had announced the construction of a $300-billion refinery in Texas backed by Reliance.
WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT?
Interestingly, Rubio's proposed October 20-22 visit was first announced by the US State Department. The US said the visit was aimed at deepening energy cooperation and that Rubio would be meeting senior government officials.
Rubio's meeting with Jaishankar was, in fact, announced by the US envoy at a media event on Thursday. Traditionally, such bilateral engagements are announced by the host country first.
"While he (Rubio) is in Mumbai, he will be meeting with government of India officials. We expect Minister Dr Jaishankar will be joining us there," Gor said. He underlined that Rubio's trip would be a "little more business focused" - a probable explanation why Delhi is not on his itinerary.
This has now been used by the Congress to launch an attack on the government.
CONGRESS HITS OUT AT MODI GOVT
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has previously accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "surrendering" to American pressure on foreign policy and trade, led the charge.
"Rubio has summoned his employee to Mumbai. Modi, your officials in the External Affairs Ministry are confused about what's going on. You might want to explain. Unless, of course, you want me to," Rahul said in a cryptic post.
The MEA has divulged scant details regarding Rubio's visit. A day after Gor's announcement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar would hold talks with Rubio on October 20 in Mumbai. The MEA said it has been the practice over the last decade to host foreign dignitaries in various cities.
Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh quipped that it was "not surprising" that the US envoy provided more details on Rubio's visit.
"But what is quite extraordinary is his statement that 'we expect Jaishankar to be joining us there' along with other individuals," Ramesh tweeted.
"Since when has the announcement of India's Minister of External Affairs meetings within India been outsourced to somebody other than the official spokesperson of the MEA?" he further said.
Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera asserted that a foreign government "summoning" India's External Affairs Minister on Indian soil was a new low.
"It has left our own officials in the MEA in a state of 'utter bewilderment and disarray', as one of our birds in the ministry tells us. Modi, of course, will insist that 'all is well'," Khera said.
Rubio's visit comes at a time when India-US ties are going through a turbulent period. A trade deal is yet to be finalised, even though Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that its first phase was "undergoing legal drafting".
Moreover, the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act has further soured ties. Signed by Trump earlier this month, the law gives the US President the power to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries like India and China that purchase Russian oil and gas.
It is a different matter that the US itself recently struck a deal to purchase diesel from Russia, exposing Trump's hypocrisy.
All eyes will be on Rubio's high-profile visit next week and how it reshapes India-US ties.
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