PM attending G20 meet safely, securely since Trump boycotting it: Congress

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Friday claimed that he is attending the G20 Summit in South Africa "safely and securely" since US President Donald Trump is boycotting the conclave and wondered whether "huglomacy" with "my good friend" revive as the next Summit of the grouping will take place in America.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday embarked on a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the next G20 Summit a year from now will be in the US and by then, presumably, India's trade "(or)deal" with the US will be done.

"But if in the past seven months, President Trump has claimed 61 times that he halted Operation Sindoor, imagine how many more times he will repeat those claims in the next twelve months," Ramesh said on X.

The prime minister is attending the G20 Summit in South Africa today and tomorrow, and he is doing so safely and securely since President Trump and the US are boycotting the summit, the Congress leader claimed.

"Recall that Mr. Modi didn't go to Kuala Lumpur a few days back for the India-Asean Summit since he would then have to come face-to-face with President Trump," he said.

It is extraordinary that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US opposes South Africa's G20 themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability on the grounds that they amount to anti-Americanism, Ramesh said.

"It is incidentally the very same Marco Rubio who was the first, at 5:37 PM on May 10th, to announce to the world the abrupt halt to Operation Sindoor," he said.

Ramesh pointed out that the G20 Presidency rotates annually and India had taken over from Indonesia in November 2023 and had handed over to Brazil in November 2024.

Now South Africa is to hand over to the US which will not be present, he said.

"So the next G20 Summit a year from now will be in the US. By then, presumably, India's trade (or)deal with the US will be done. But if in the past seven months, President Trump has claimed 61 times that he halted Operation Sindoor, imagine how many more times he will repeat those claims in the next twelve months," Ramesh said.

"Will huglomacy with 'my good friend' revive or whether there will be just handshakes or whether Mr. Modi doesn't go - time alone will tell," the Congress general secretary said.

In his departure statement, Modi said he will present India's perspective at the forum in line with its vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and 'One Earth, One Family and One Future'.

"Will be attending the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a particularly special Summit as it is being held in Africa. Various global issues will be discussed there. Will be meeting various world leaders during the Summit," Modi posted on X.

On the margins of the summit, the prime minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg. He will also attend the sixth IBSA Summit there.

He is visiting South Africa from November 21-23 at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the 20th G20 Leaders' Summit under South Africa's Presidency.

The theme of this year's G20 has been 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability',  The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday had said that Prime Minister Modi is expected to speak in all three sessions of the Summit.

G20 members include the world's major economies, representing 85 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade, and two-thirds of the world's population, according to the website of the G20.

It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the UK, the US, the European Union, and the African Union.