NEW DELHI, AUGUST 24: India on Monday pushed back against suggestions that it had sought to restrict media questions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying discussions on arrangements for leaders’ public appearances are routine during VVIP visits.
MEA sources said the Indian side had merely conveyed its standard practice concerning such engagements, while acknowledging that delegations meeting Trump tend to adopt a cautious approach because of what they described as his unpredictable interactions with visiting leaders.
“Delegations when meeting US President are wary about his unpredictable behaviour, as may be seen from his interactions with President of South Africa, Ukraine etc. Thus, the cautious approach by India,” the sources said.
The statement followed remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who claimed that the Indian government had “specifically requested” that no questions be taken from journalists during Modi’s bilateral meeting with Trump at the G7 Summit in France.
According to Gor, he had informed Trump about India’s preference for a meeting without questions.
“I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem,” Gor said.
But the plan changed once the two leaders completed their opening statements. Gor said Trump looked towards the cameras and asked, “any questions?”, effectively opening the interaction to the press.
The ambassador said the resulting exchange lasted around 45 minutes and that “everything was on the table”.
The meeting itself covered several issues, including the safety of Indian seafarers amid heightened attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Modi told Trump that the security of Indian maritime workers was a key concern.
“Lakhs of Indian seafarers operate in maritime sector; I believe that their security is equally important,” Modi said.
Trump responded by signalling continued US support for India, saying Washington would stand by Modi in the event of an attack.
“If anybody attacks that man (pointing to Modi), we’re gonna be there. Now, if there’s a new leader, I’m not sure,” Trump said.
Trump also hinted at a possible future visit to India during the interaction.
The MEA’s clarification sought to frame the dispute over the media format as a matter of routine diplomatic protocol rather than an attempt to limit public scrutiny of the Modi-Trump engagement.
