New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed during a public address in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that he turned down an invitation from former US President Donald Trump to visit Washington, choosing instead to return to India to visit the “holy land of Lord Jagannath.”
Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, “I was in Canada for the G7 Summit when US President Donald Trump called and invited me to Washington for a discussion and lunch. I thanked him for the invitation but humbly declined, saying I have to visit Odisha, the sacred land of Lord Jagannath.”
The Prime Minister had travelled to Canada to participate in the recent G7 Summit, where he engaged in high-level discussions with several global leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron. A meeting between Modi and Trump was initially planned on the sidelines of the Summit, but Trump exited early amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
This marked PM Modi’s first visit to Odisha to mark the first anniversary of the BJP government in the state. During the visit, he launched a slew of development projects worth over ₹18,600 crore, spanning infrastructure, health, connectivity, and tourism.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri later informed that while the Prime Minister declined Trump’s invite to Washington, he extended a counter-invitation for Trump to visit India later this year for the upcoming Quad Summit. The meeting of the Quad leaders — comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia — is likely to be held in India.
The symbolic importance of Odisha in PM Modi’s decision did not go unnoticed, as the Prime Minister sought to underline the spiritual and cultural priorities he attaches to Indian soil. “This land of Lord Jagannath is very dear to me. I had made up my mind to return here,” he told the audience, drawing applause.
The episode adds a layer of personal diplomacy and cultural connection to the Prime Minister’s foreign engagements, highlighting his emphasis on national pride and tradition even amid high-level international invitations.
