Why is there such a controversy in India surrounding the US Secretary of State’s visit?

The recent visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to India has sparked intense debate and outrage within the country’s political landscape. Although this marks his second visit to India in the last six months, it is notable that he is not visiting the national capital, New Delhi, at all.

Instead, on Monday (October 19), Rubio is scheduled to meet with India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, in Mumbai—the country’s financial capital. Following the meeting, he will visit a major oil refinery owned by Reliance Industries in Jamnagar, Gujarat. According to the US State Department, the primary objective of this visit is to strengthen ties in the areas of trade, investment, and energy.

However, the controversy stems largely from a remark made by Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador based in Delhi. He explicitly stated that Washington had requested the Indian External Affairs Minister to travel to Mumbai to meet with the US Secretary of State.

Opposition leaders have voiced strong criticism against the Modi government for allowing India’s top diplomat to be "summoned" in this manner on home soil. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked sarcastically that it was as if Marco Rubio had ordered one of his own subordinates to appear in Mumbai. Other opposition figures argue that complying with such a directive from a foreign nation—while on Indian soil—constitutes a significant affront to India’s diplomatic standing.

According to diplomatic analysts, this incident has further fueled existing tensions between Washington and New Delhi—tensions recently exacerbated by issues such as high trade tariffs and India’s purchase of oil from Russia. While the visit is ostensibly focused on energy and economic interests, it has ignited a fierce domestic political debate over the situation in which the Indian External Affairs Minister has been placed.

Source: Al Jazeera