Taxpayers bore Rs 15.54 crore for Modi’s Saudi trip, not host, cut short after Pahalgam attack
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An RTI reply has revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Saudi Arabia for less than 12 hours had cost the taxpayers about Rs 15.54 crore, including over Rs 10 crore for hotel booking alone, despite diplomatic protocol assigning the responsibility of accommodation for high-ranking officials to the host country.
The revelation came through an RTI reply furnished by the Consulate General of India in Jeddah to an activist from Maharashtra, sparking criticism over the unusually high expenses incurred for the curtailed trip.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Jeddah between April 22 and 23, but the visit was cut short following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, leading to his return within half a day and the cancellation of the planned state dinner.
Records indicate that no accommodation arrangements were provided by the Saudi authorities, which compelled the Government of India to take on the costs, and this led to concerns about the lack of adherence to established protocols. Observers have highlighted that the government’s spending appeared disproportionately high for a visit of such short duration, raising questions about the management of state visit expenses.
Comparisons with the Prime Minister’s other foreign trips show that the Saudi Arabia visit was the costliest, as a four-day visit to France in February amounted to Rs 25.59 crore, a one-day trip to the United States stood at Rs 16.54 crore, and a one-day visit to Thailand cost Rs 4.92 crore, all of which were relatively lower when measured against the length of stay and engagement.
Historical figures from the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh further fuel the debate, since his 2011 visit to the United States cost Rs 10.74 crore and his 2013 trip to Russia cost Rs 9.95 crore, amounts significantly lower than those registered under Modi’s recent travel.
While the figures have stirred widespread discussion over state spending on foreign engagements, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office have yet to provide any official comment.