Centre sought no-question media interaction at Modi-Trump meet
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New Delhi: The Union Government had asked the United States to ensure that journalists would not pose questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during their meeting in Évian-les-Bains, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has revealed.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Gor said the request was conveyed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs ahead of the June 17 meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit. According to him, the two leaders were expected to make brief statements to the media but not take questions.
Trump initially agreed to the arrangement but subsequently departed from it, inviting journalists to ask questions after the leaders’ opening remarks. What was intended to be a brief media interaction eventually turned into an extended session lasting nearly 45 minutes, with the US president allowing reporters to raise a wide range of issues.
The revelation comes amid growing international attention over Modi’s reluctance to take questions from journalists during overseas visits, particularly following meetings with foreign leaders.
During a May 18 meeting in Oslo, Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng sought to ask Modi questions after his press statement with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, but the interaction did not include a question-and-answer session. Lyng later criticised the absence of press access on social media.
Similar concerns were raised by Dutch journalist Ashwant Nandram during an MEA briefing in The Hague following Modi’s May 16 meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
During Modi’s visit to New Zealand in July, a Kiwi journalist also questioned MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon about the absence of a press conference. Tandon defended Modi’s direct communication with Indian voters, particularly through his engagement with rural audiences.