New Delhi: Hosting foreign dignitaries in cities other than New Delhi is an established practice, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s jibe over US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s proposed meeting with Indian government officials in Mumbai.
It also outlined External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar’s upcoming engagements with the UAE’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, as well as Rubio.
“It is the practice over the last decade to host foreign dignitaries from time to time in various cities of India,” the MEA said, citing several instances in which India hosted foreign leaders and officials outside the national capital, as reported by News18.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted the prime minister of Spain in Vadodara, German chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad, and the prime minister of Mauritius in Varanasi, the ministry pointed out.
The MEA also referred to Jaishankar’s engagements, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa, a meeting with Botswana’s foreign minister in Kevadia, and the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar.
Rahul had questioned the government over Rubio’s proposed meeting with Indian officials in Mumbai, alleging confusion within the MEA over the US secretary of state’s visit.
“Mr Rubio has summoned his employee to Mumbai. Modi ji, 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,” Gandhi mentioned in a post on X on Friday.
On Thursday, US ambassador to India Sergio Gor shared details of Rubio’s forthcoming visit during an interactive session at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.
Rubio would meet Indian government officials in Mumbai and Jaishankar was expected to join the meeting along with other officials travelling from Delhi, Gor had said.
According to the schedule outlined by the MEA, Jaishankar will host the UAE’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister on October 19 and 20. He is also scheduled to hold talks with Rubio on October 20.
The US secretary of state is visiting India and Uzbekistan from October 17 to 22. During his India visit, he is scheduled to travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar in Gujarat and meet senior Indian government officials to discuss the bilateral strategic partnership, regional and global developments, and opportunities to enhance energy cooperation.
Rubio is also scheduled to meet business leaders to promote commercial investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, had questioned why the MEA had not officially announced Jaishankar’s expected meeting with Rubio in Mumbai.
It was not surprising that Gor had shared details of Rubio’s visit, but questioned the US ambassador’s statement that Jaishankar was expected to join the meeting along with other officials from Delhi, he said.
“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 had asked in a post on X.
He also referred to the announcement concerning Operation Sindoor, claiming that India had first learnt from Rubio on the evening of May 10, 2025, that the operation had been halted.
