Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked the Union government to explain why United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “summoned his employee” to Mumbai.
Rubio will be visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar between October 19 and October 22.
“Modi ji, your officials in the external affairs ministry are confused about what’s going on,” Gandhi said on social media. “You might want to explain. Unless, of course, you want me to.”
Jamnagar is home to the world’s largest single-location refining complex, operated by Reliance Industries. The facility is known to have refined Russian crude.
The US secretary of state is expected to meet senior officials of the Indian government to strengthen relations, “exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation”, Washington said on Tuesday.
Rubio will also meet business leaders to “promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation”, the US state department added. It did not specify who Rubio will meet.
New Delhi had not announced the details of Rubio’s visit, as of Friday afternoon. The Ministry of External Affairs had said on Wednesday that it will “make the announcement at the appropriate time as to what will be the issues to be taken up”.
However, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Thursday that Washington was “expecting” Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other...