PM Modi clarifies why he declined Trump’s invite

At a public event in Odisha, PM Modi spoke about why he had to decline Trump’s invite to the US.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended an event in Odisha, where he explained why he had to decline the invitation to visit the United States by Donald Trump. He said that he declined Trump’s invitation to visit Washington, DC, as he had to return to the “holy land of Lord Jagannath.”

PM Modi talks about why he declined Trump’s invitation to visit the US.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, said he declined the invitation by Donald Trump to visit Washington, DC, for he had to return to the “holy land of Jagannath.” He mentioned about the same at a public address in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar. He had been to Canada to attend the G7 Summit recently, where he met several heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron. During the meeting, on a phone call, PM Modi was asked by Donald Trump whether he would visit Washington, DC, on an official invitation.

What did PM say at the public event about the invitation?

He said, “I was in Canada for the G7 Summit when US President [Donald] Trump called and invited me to Washington for a discussion and lunch. I thanked him for the invitation, saying I have to visit Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath. I humbly rejected his invitation.” PM Modi participated in the first anniversary celebrations of the BJP government in Odisha. He even launched development projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore.

In a statement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that PM Modi invited Mr Trump to visit India for the Quad Summit, likely to be held later this year. The two leaders were scheduled to meet in Canada at the G7 Summit, but Trump left the Summit mid-way amid rising hostilities between Israel and Iran.