Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending the inauguration ceremony of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump. Instead, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, will represent the country at the event, according to a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The statement mentioned that the committee overseeing the inauguration ceremony of President Trump and Vice President Pence extended the invitation. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will be attending the event as India’s representative.
On January 20, Monday, Trump will take the oath as the 47th President of the United States, and Jaishankar will be present at the ceremony.
The ministry also stated that during his visit to the U.S., the External Affairs Minister will engage in discussions with members of the new administration and meet other key figures attending the inauguration ceremony.
Notably, Jaishankar had visited the U.S. in late December as well. Speculations about whether Prime Minister Modi would receive an invitation to Trump’s inauguration had been rife since then.
In this context, BJP’s former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had taken a jab at the Modi government. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he wrote that the External Affairs Minister was being sent to the U.S. to “secure that invitation!”
On January 20, at 12 PM U.S. time, Trump will take the oath of office. The event will be held on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Following the oath-taking, the newly elected President of the United States will deliver his inaugural address.