NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had asked the United States to avoid questions from the media during his meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has revealed.
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum on Saturday, Gor said India’s Ministry of External Affairs had specifically requested that the media be allowed to cover the meeting without holding a question-and-answer session.
According to the ambassador, Trump initially agreed to the request but later appeared to forget about it and unexpectedly invited journalists to ask questions.
What was initially expected to be a brief media appearance subsequently turned into an extended press interaction lasting around 45 minutes, with Modi seated alongside Trump.
Gor’s remarks offer an account of how the interaction unfolded and suggest that the Indian side had sought to limit direct questioning by the international media during the leaders’ meeting.
The US ambassador said the request had been communicated to the American side before the encounter. However, Trump’s decision to open the floor to reporters changed the format of the engagement, allowing journalists to raise questions on a range of issues.
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The episode has drawn attention because of the contrasting approaches to media interaction adopted by the two leaders. Trump is known for frequently engaging directly with reporters, while Modi’s public engagements with international media have generally involved more controlled formats.
Gor’s comments come amid continuing international scrutiny of press freedom and media access in India, where critics have raised concerns over the space available for independent journalism and direct questioning of the government.
The ambassador’s remarks suggest that the Indian government sought to shield Modi from direct questions from the international media, further fuelling concerns about press freedom and government accountability in India.
