Khera’s allegation followed remarks by US Ambassador Sergio Gor indicating that Rubio would visit Mumbai rather than New Delhi and that Jaishankar was expected to join meetings during the trip. The ambassador did not say that the minister had been summoned, making that characterisation a political claim rather than an established diplomatic arrangement.
The ministry confirmed the meeting on Friday and defended holding talks outside the national capital. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said hosting foreign dignitaries in different cities had been an established practice over the past decade, rejecting the suggestion that Mumbai was an inappropriate venue for a senior bilateral engagement.
The clarification came after Congress leaders questioned why the US ambassador had publicly discussed Jaishankar’s anticipated participation before the ministry formally announced the engagement. Their criticism focused on both the location of the talks and the sequence of official communications.
Writing on X, Khera said Gor had confirmed that Rubio was skipping Delhi and had summoned Jaishankar to Mumbai. He described the supposed summons as a diplomatic humiliation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and alleged that ministry officials were bewildered by the arrangements.
Khera attributed his assertion about confusion within the ministry to an unnamed contact. No independently established evidence was presented to substantiate that account, and the ministry’s public explanation did not acknowledge any breakdown in coordination.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also criticised the government, describing Jaishankar as Rubio’s employee in a post on X and alleging confusion among foreign ministry officials. He called on Modi to explain the situation, escalating a disagreement over the itinerary into a broader political argument about the government’s handling of relations with Washington.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh separately questioned why the ambassador was announcing details of a minister’s engagements on home soil. He distinguished between the normal disclosure of an American visitor’s itinerary and an overseas representative expressing expectations about where India’s foreign minister would appear.
Gor, speaking at an event on Thursday, said Rubio would meet government officials in Mumbai and that US representatives expected Jaishankar to be present. He described the visit as more focused on business, with commercial ties, energy and investment among its priorities.
The distinction matters because the ambassador’s words expressed an expectation, not an instruction. The government’s subsequent confirmation established the venue and date of the bilateral meeting but did not establish that Washington had directed Jaishankar to travel to Mumbai.
Jaiswal pointed to previous meetings with foreign leaders outside Delhi as examples of established diplomatic practice. He cited engagements involving visiting heads of government in Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Varanasi, alongside ministerial meetings held elsewhere in the country.
The ministry said the October 20 talks would provide an opportunity to review bilateral relations and strengthen the comprehensive global strategic partnership. Discussions are expected to cover energy, trade, investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, and regional and international developments.
Rubio’s itinerary also includes Jamnagar in Gujarat, a major centre for refining and energy operations. The US State Department announced a visit to India and Uzbekistan from October 17 to 22, with meetings involving government representatives and business leaders intended to advance investment and economic cooperation.
The Mumbai engagement comes amid continuing negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement. Gor said on Thursday that discussions were progressing rapidly and that major elements of the proposed arrangement had been settled, although the governments have not announced a completed agreement.
The ambassador’s comments also placed energy cooperation at the centre of Rubio’s visit. His planned meetings with business representatives reflect the commercial emphasis outlined by Washington, while the ministerial discussions are intended to address wider strategic and diplomatic questions.
Rubio’s programme marks his second visit to the country this year, following his May trip, during which he held discussions with senior government representatives. The forthcoming engagements have a stronger commercial focus.
Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai during the same period, according to the ministry’s announced programme. The separate engagement underscores that Mumbai will host more than one high-level diplomatic meeting during the week.
