‘Had To Visit...’: PM Modi Explains Why He 'Humbly' Declined Trump’s Invite To Visit Washington After G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he turned down an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit Washington DC, citing his commitment to return to the “holy land of Lord Jagannath.”

PM Modi made this remark during a public address in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Prime Minister was recently in Canada for the G7 Summit, where he held meetings with various world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Although a meeting was planned between the Trump and PM Modi on the sidelines of the G7, the US President left the summit midway due to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

President Trump extended an official invitation to PM Modi over a phone call, asking if he would visit Washington DC after G7 Summit.

"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 said at the public event.

According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, PM Modi also extended an invitation to Trump to visit India for the upcoming Quad Summit, expected to be held later this year.

The event in Odisha marked PM Modi’s first participation in the anniversary celebrations of the BJP-led government in the state.

During the visit, the Prime Minister launched development projects worth more than Rs 18,600 crore.

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