New Delhi: The absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ASEAN Summit is reportedly being linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump. It is being said that the primary reason for PM Modi not attending the event in Malaysia was the possibility of a discussion with Trump on the Pakistan issue. However, the Indian government has not released any official statement regarding Modi’s non-attendance. Interestingly, the summit took place at a time when India–U.S. relations were already under strain over trade tariffs.
According to a report, sources familiar with the matter indicated that officials feared Trump might once again make claims about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. India, on its part, has made it clear that the ceasefire was mutually agreed upon following a request from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).
The report further stated that PM Modi was not willing to take the risk of meeting Trump in Malaysia. Experts suggested that Modi, being the key face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar, might have faced political backlash if Trump had made any statements related to Pakistan, as opposition parties could have used such remarks during the elections.
Since forming the government in 2014, PM Modi has attended all ASEAN summits except for the one in 2022. The summits in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, on Tuesday, Trump once again claimed to have played a role in the India–Pakistan ceasefire, saying, “I told Prime Minister Modi—and I told a very good man, a great person, the Prime Minister and the Field Marshal in Pakistan—that if you two fight, we cannot do any trade with you.”
