Jaishankar defends meeting with Marco Rubio after Rahul Gandhi 'summoning'
India's foreign minister S. Jaishankar is standing by his decision to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai, after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it a "summoning."
At the NDTV World Summit, Jaishankar pushed back, asking why a meeting outside Delhi should be an issue.
Jaishankar cites precedents, defends Mumbai venue
Jaishankar pointed out that Indian leaders have often held key diplomatic meetings outside the capital, like former prime minister Indira Gandhi's visit to Shimla to meet Pakistan's then president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's hosting a lunch for Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in Jaipur.
He also reminded everyone that Mumbai isn't just India's financial hub but a cultural powerhouse too, making it a fitting place for important international talks.