New Delhi (TDI): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has withdrawn from his planned trip to Malaysia, where he was scheduled to attend an ASEAN-related summit this weekend. Officials confirmed on Friday that the prime minister will now join the sessions virtually instead.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not stated an official reason for the change, though Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters that Modi had cited “ongoing Deepavali celebrations” as the reason for staying back. The ASEAN and East Asia summits are set to take place in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28.
According to the MEA, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the East Asia Summit on October 27, representing India’s Act East Policy and broader Indo-Pacific vision, Dawn reported.
However, the decision quickly sparked political controversy at home. The opposition Congress Party claimed that Modi’s withdrawal was motivated by a desire to avoid an encounter with US President Donald Trump, who is also attending the summit.
Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh alleged on X that the prime minister feared being “cornered” by President Trump over sensitive issues such as India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
“It’s one thing to praise Trump online,” Ramesh wrote, “but quite another to be seen in person with someone who has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping Operation Sindoor and for convincing India to halt Russian oil imports.”
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He added that Modi had similarly skipped the Gaza peace summit in Egypt earlier this month “for the same reason.” Mocking the decision, Mr. Ramesh quipped that the prime minister might be humming an old Bollywood tune: “Bachke rehna re baba, bachke rehna re.”
In another post, reacting to a statement by Reliance Industries about adjusting Russian oil imports to align with government policy, Mr. Ramesh remarked, “Modi proposes, Reliance disposes, Trump exposes.”
Despite the criticism, Modi said he had a “warm conversation” with the Malaysian leader ahead of the summit. “I congratulated Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed my best wishes for the success of the upcoming meetings. I look forward to participating virtually and to further deepening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Modi wrote on X.
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Ibrahim later confirmed the exchange, saying, “Prime Minister Modi informed me that he would attend virtually due to Deepavali celebrations. I respect his decision and extended greetings to him and the people of India.”
The East Asia Summit is expected to bring together key world leaders, including President Trump. Observers had anticipated an informal meeting between Trump and Modi on the sidelines, especially as India-US relations have faced strains following Washington’s decision to impose tariffs in response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil.
