Jairam Ramesh questions MEA silence over Jaishankar-Rubio meeting in Mumbai

New Delhi, Oct 15 : Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh on Thursday questioned the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for not officially announcing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s expected meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai.

In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh asked why details of an Indian minister’s official engagements were being disclosed by the American side rather than the Indian government.

Ramesh said it was not surprising that the US Ambassador to India had shared details of Rubio’s forthcoming Mumbai visit and indicated that the American Secretary of State would meet Government of India officials during the trip. However, he described the ambassador’s statement that “we expect the Minister Dr. Jaishankar to be joining us there along with other individuals” as “quite extraordinary”.

“Since when has the announcement of India’s Minister of External Affairs meetings within India been outsourced to somebody other than the official spokesperson of the MEA?” Ramesh asked, pointing to the absence of an official announcement from the Indian foreign ministry.

Drawing a parallel with the announcement on the cessation of hostilities following Operation Sindoor in May 2025, the Congress leader recalled that India had learnt from Rubio about the halt in military action on the evening of May 10, 2025.

“Why is the MEA silent on the External Affairs Minister’s tryst with Mr. Rubio in Mumbai?” Ramesh asked, questioning the government’s communication practices concerning India’s diplomatic engagements.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack. Rubio’s subsequent announcement of an understanding to halt military action triggered questions from the Opposition about Washington’s role in the developments and the circumstances surrounding the cessation of hostilities.

Ramesh’s latest remarks have brought diplomatic protocol and public communication back into the political debate. He argued that details of the External Affairs Minister’s official engagements within India should ordinarily be announced by the MEA rather than by a foreign ambassador.