Modi skipping ASEAN summit to avoid meeting Trump, alleges Congress

With the ASEAN summit set to unfold in Kuala Lumpur from 26 to 28 October, speculation has swirled over whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make the journey to Malaysia. On Thursday, 23 October, the Congress claimed that the PM’s absence is less about scheduling conflicts and more about avoiding a direct encounter with former US President Donald Trump, who is also slated to attend.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a series of posts on X, suggested that while posting messages lauding Trump on social media is one thing, to meet him in person — especially a leader who has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping Operation Sindoor and alleged India promised to curb Russian oil imports — could be politically risky for Modi.

“For days the speculation has been — will he or won’t he? Now it appears certain that the PM will not go,” Ramesh wrote. “This means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or flaunt himself as the self-styled Vishwaguru.”

Ramesh added with a touch of theatrical flair: “Posting messages in praise of President Trump is one thing. But to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Op Sindoor and five times that India promised to stop buying oil from Russia is another matter. It’s far too risky. The PM may well be recalling that old Bollywood number: Bachke re rehna re baba, bachke rehna re.”

Sources familiar with the matter said Modi is unlikely to travel to Malaysia due to scheduling constraints, and that external affairs minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the ASEAN meetings. Officials also hinted at the possibility of the Prime Minister participating virtually in the ASEAN-India summit deliberations.

Modi has historically led Indian delegations at both the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit, underscoring India’s growing engagement with Southeast Asia. Malaysia has extended invitations to Trump and leaders from several other ASEAN dialogue partner countries, with Trump scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 for a two-day visit.

The ASEAN-India relationship is longstanding: starting with a sectoral partnership in 1992, it evolved to a full dialogue partnership in 1995, summit-level engagement in 2002, and finally a strategic partnership in 2012. Today, India’s ties with ASEAN’s 10 member nations — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia — have strengthened significantly, with a focus on trade, investment, security, and defence cooperation.

With PTI inputs