The India-US relationship involves complex diplomatic dynamics where strategic partnerships like the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) serve as platforms for cooperation on trade, defense, and regional security, while bilateral meetings between leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio aim to address issues including trade deals, energy security, and global peace, though challenges in diplomatic protocols and mutual understanding can affect the relationship's effectiveness.
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Marco Rubio Meets PM Modi LIVE: US Secy Of State Vists India | Trump Trade Deal | US Iran War | N18LAdded:
you know uh we there were expectations that there would be u US investments US company working in the nuclear sector would be investing uh in India etc etc but that did not happen actually uh Ammon uh to be very honest because Love me.
We also have to give him something to keep him going.
But the stage for that I think has gone.
We are no more in that comfortable zone that we keep giving in the hope that the US will understand us. It is very evident the US does not understand us.
The US does not see us as an equal partner and simply wants us to do their bidding. And secondly, their recent visit to China has clearly showed us what place they have for the Quad in terms of balancing China.
So while Sergio Gore says that this visit is for the Quad, you have told us now that the meeting was over an hour long.
>> Yes. Yes, the scheduled meeting of the foreign ministers of Quad is 30 minutes and then there the photo op. So you can take your pick what they have really come to do and I feel bad for the foreign ministers of Australia and Japan who for months have been holding on to this date because waiting for Rubio to con confirm that he'll be here so they come here.
>> Right.
>> But I think I heard Mr. Sarin this morning on various channels he has already talenated what are the outstanding issues on the India US front so who is going to resolve them issue is is >> Mark Rubio authorized to resolve issues of trade critical minerals defense technology and what they call trust is he authorized to do that or is he only authorized to sell energy >> that is not clear no absolutely uh Mr. Singh you may raise a very interesting question uh you know without any rose tinted glasses as far as the Indo-US relationship currently is concerned this is a visit is also being seen as a precursor possibly of setting the stage for a possible Modi Trump meeting on the sidelines of the G7 but left general KJS still I want to ask you on the energy front given what has happened with the US in recent times uh yes there has been this trade framework announced where we you know we already promised a certain amount of trade and energy buying from US but this is also a matter of critical independence for us. We know that energy is going to be the biggest currency in the future world. What what is your take on this?
>> Good afternoon Shani ma'am and pali ma'am and fellow panelist and all your viewers. Uh first of all uh for the benefit of the viewers WAD which is a foreign nations alliance or a coordin organization that is India, America, Japan and Australia is a political alliance. It's not a military alliance.
It is basically it came into being to control the Chinese hedgeimonyy in the Southeast Asia especially on the request of Japan and it was lying in the cold storage for quite a few years and now after the President Trump's China visit and the strong words which are spoken on Taiwan now this posturing of Quad is again coming up on the front page quad basically I'll come to your question now quad basically supposed to be doing you know free and open Indo-acific rule-based orders, sovereignity and territorial integrity, maritime security and critical and you know emerging technologies, cooperation and coordination >> and whatever we have discussed so far along with the ambassador on the panel.
>> Nothing of this is on the plate. What is on the plate is trade trade deal tariffs which have been fluctuating up and down and energy security because of the Iran crisis. So Mr. Rubio's visit to attend the quad meeting is one aspect but his visit as a sort of a messenger from President Trump especially after the Chinese visit of his is the main plank.
So trade deal which has not yet been signed I think will be discussed. The tariffs which have been going up and down have stabilized for some time now and energy security and how to handle Iran and state of Hormus trade is going to be the main plank. So let's be very clear on this. Mr. Rabio is coming as a messenger and he will take back notes and maybe as you are very rightly saying maybe this is a precursor to President Trump's visit to India and a meeting between Prime Minister and President Trump, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on the sidelines of G7 or any other place where both the leaders are together. That's my reading of it. So don't read too much into call it the meeting is the visit is for a different reason altogether and >> Mr. Shashan Sarin we really are running out of time. So a quick uh uh response from you also the quart summit becomes important for Americans to counter China.
Is that also a part of the larger Rubio visit to India because tomorrow is going to be a key day when he's going to be meeting up with our external affairs minister as well.
>> I think it's your assumption that Quad is critical to the United States to contain China.
How the United States has given any indication that this is a critical organization.
uh in fact they seem to think that this is an organization they can do without it's a talking shop in which in in some case in in some ways it is a talking shop uh and the Americans are are not quite interested in it and all that they would want is that if any country wants to come into under the American umbrella then it should be ready to bloody itself in fighting America's wars for it so that America does not need to fight those wars and unlike the past >> when it would uh when it would ply a lot of money in these countries, give them a lot of security assistance. Now even that is not on offer. So now just because we are taken in by Donald Trump's beautiful charm and his grace and his his wonderful manners, we should bloody ourselves in America's cause. I don't see how that serves our cause. And unless clarity between India and the United States on how they want to move forward. I look I don't see any unward incident happening I think all the nicities will be maintained all the right words will be said but I'm not quite sure if things will be put back on track and they'll move forward from home.
>> Okay. U Susant I do thank you for joining us along with our other guests.
Of course our firm focus continues on this. We're still waiting to see possibly the first pictures and words exchanged between PM Modi and Marco Rubio. But stay with us. Our live coverage will like a dream come true.
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you know still with us at this point of time. Thank you so much for remaining with us. So we're just touching down I think another 15 to 20 minutes more to go for the prime minister's meeting with Rubio. Let's kind of predict. I know it's very hard to speculate when it comes to any meeting with the prime minister. What do you think could be on the agenda?
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Dowi has been officially outlawed in India in the year 1961.
While over six decades have passed, ever since it was officially banned in India from 1961, there has been persistent reported cases of dowry that have been every year seen and witnessed across states. The practice and the law have not been absent from the ground. Every year there have been many cases over these past six decades that have been reported. In the early 2010s, the data peaked. As per the NCB records, there were around 8,000 deaths related to Dowi reported around 2011 and 2012. While recent figures have shown some decline, but it has projected a persistent baseline with nearly 6,400 deaths also reported in the year 2022 alone.
Even though sociologists have believed that the data reflects only a fraction of reality despite this data also being alarming and significant. They believe that many cases of dowry till date are settled under the table. They mostly go unreported due to the social stigma or due to the economic dependence in the family.
While the victim family of the dowry harassment or dowy deaths in a conversation with us have revealed that they have initially ignored the red signs despite offering to give dowi. They have lost their loved ones, their lovely daughters.
From the highrises of NCR's tech hubs to affluent neighborhoods in central India, the price of being a bride remains terrifyingly high across India.
Consider the latest horrifying case emerging from Nida where Deepipika's life was cut short.
married into what was promised to be an educated progressive family.
The narrative quickly devolved into a familiar script of escalating maternal demands.
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Take The numbers compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau reveal a dark paradox. While there has been a dip in the reported number of dowi deaths in the last decade, on an average about 15 to 16 women in India died daily owing to the violence in the domestic household due to the dowy pressure or forced suicide. This also equates to a nationwide dowy rate of 0.8% per one lakh women in India. What does this now tell? This tell that despite the dowry prohibition act being in place for over six decades in India the greed hasn't subsided rather women have been caught in a volatile legal matrix.
Sociologists also link this to the iceberg effect saying that what often gets reported in the courts is just a fraction of what is happening inside the millions of Indian households daily in the name of domestic extortion.
The bigger question is why does this practice persist even after 65 years of prohibition?
Legal experts point to a deadly combination of social conditioning, structural legal loopholes and the weaponization of the institution of marriage as a commercial transact as a joint commission crime you would there also. So so many criminal cases you have solved are dowi cases a little different from other cases. How what are the challenges of investigating a dowi case? See the dowy cases per se are also cases of crime and investigation and the procedures remain the same but the circumstances vastly differ from other physical crimes and the dowy crimes.
The dowy crimes take place within the confines of a house where you don't have any outsider any independent eyewitnesses.
Okay. And it goes over a period of time >> over a long period of time maybe months maybe years which eventually culminates into registration of fire following either dary death or extreme cruelty or harassment.
So that is the first challenge because it's a crime but that has happened within the confines of the home where there are no witnesses and there is no opportunity for the victim to uh call for any help also in the house. There may be circumstances where the victim can't uh approach the police, call the emergency numbers.
Secondly, the crime of dowi, it goes on for a long time because both sides even after they come to know the girl side, the boy side, they still try to patch it up. Unless there is a grievous crime at >> Unless there is a grievous crime. Unless there's a very uh severe physical hurt or it has led to death or the suicide by the girl >> they try to settle >> the police faces this challenge of not finding witnesses even when the police charits the cases >> the witnesses turn hostile.
As a matter of fact, the conviction rate of the dowi related cases, I'm not talking of dowry death cases and dowy related cases other than dowi deaths cases of dowi act under dy act and cases registered under 498A of the IPC and the corresponding section of the BNS.
These cases they can be filed even in the slightest pretext.
It's not very easy to find the evidence also as I said because the crime is happening within the confines of the home. Not easy to get the evidence.
There'll be no sensitive footage.
There'll be no ready witnesses. There'll be no telltale signs that can be seen on the uh spot.
>> That is why the conviction remains low.
>> Conviction rates are very low.
However, the police files charit and almost 90% of the cases registered. Yet the convictions are between 11 12% to 30 35% at the most.
And the balance cases very often they result in compromise. The cases are withdrawn. The given taken diary items are returned matter is settled.
Secondly, the law which was meant to be a protection for women is also misused and abused.
>> Right.
>> So at a scale which is very significant >> since you spoke of chart sheet the law that is existing let's say police completes its investigation but the law that is there to prevent women from dowry is that sufficient to protect a woman?
>> Yes the law is sufficient. The gap comes in the evidences and the witnesses turning hostile.
Also, finding evidence of a physical crime other than dowi is very easy to find and connect.
But finding evidence of dowi which has been demanded by word of mouth in the house.
>> And if there has been no physical violence and it's only been mental torture, mental cruality, you you don't find evidence of that. So when when the court uh the court uh goes for trial, it wants to appreciate evidence.
What is the evidence? So that evidentiary gap is one major problem in this cases. Not easy to find.
And secondly, the witnesses turn hostile because it the cases protract for such long periods of time. Chashits are filed, cases are pending trial for years and years. Both sides are getting older.
the fatigue comes and they end up making a compromise or turning hostile.
>> Now what are the legal provisions that a woman would have with her when she's facing harassment due to dowry when her in-laws are pressuring her or she's going through mental abuse and harassment. What are the legal provision that a woman has? Let's find it straight from uh Mr. Praep Katri who is also the secretary of the Rohini bar association.
Uh sir uh if we talk about uh law uh let's say 498A or the dowi prohibition act how strong do you think the law is to protect a woman who is facing harassment due to dowi? See initially when the this this law was promulgated by the parliament of India parliament the main purpose behind that because at that time the dory the harassment with respect to dory demand and cruelty with respect to dory demand was so rampant and but by the passage of time gradually people have liberalized and the society have been liberalized. Now we can see the cases which are there happening in the society most of them seems to be the false and fabricated one but yes but we cannot isolate them the cases which are completely true in nature. So as of now we have certain provision which are there to safeguard the women the lady the wife who happens to be at the hand of the mercy of the me u in-laws in respect to the dori demand like we have domestic violence act which was promulgating in year 2005 it was came to existence so it it was meant for a speedy it was like a speedy recovery or we can say the speedy remedy for the women that was a specific law which was which was promulgated with only one moto to help to safeguard the right, safeguard the women, safeguard the wife from the hands of the in-laws on the subject of dory and as in the IPC we have 498 a 406 that is criminal the criminal breach of trust and 498 that uh any offense with respect to harassment with respect to demand of dory we have already there >> right so because you are dealing with cases related to dowi I would like to know that uh because you have been fighting such cases What are the lacuna that the other party may use is are there any loopholes in this uh law that need to be fixed. What because the other party also the cases go on for a long time.
>> See I'll tell you one thing basically what has happened in our system in our society what has happened there is a problem and like there is any kind of crime which is completely new in the society. So the pro the constit the parliament try to evolve some new law as a solution to those problem. But what happens those problem in later later stage become itself a problem like we have this dori prohibition act >> like we have 498a >> past kumar judgment it was being misused. So the problem is that the law is there. Law is there till the time we are not sensitized the society about that this is the case where the genuine people who have suffered at the hands of the in-laws should use and those people who are misusing it should be subjected to the they should be taken to the task.
>> In this long fight the transformation cannot just happen in police stations or courtrooms. It must begin at home. The playbook used by families is alarmingly standardized across modern Indian jurisdictions.
First comes the narrative of mental instability. The victim's independence is turned into a weapon against her. If she had a job, she was arrogant. If she went out with friends, she was neglectful.
If she spoke up against harassment, she was labeled short-tempered and hysterical.
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Oh, let's keep meeting this afternoon. Those are on your screens. Remember, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his first official visit to India, a long one at that, four days. And on the very first day in the national capital, he's meeting the prime minister. That meeting lasted about an hour. Uh the first images now out important as far as the overall scenario of India US relationship is concerned. This meeting as you can see had other officials from both sides also present at seat in the national capital where it was concluded.
The critical discussion lasted for over an hour. This could set the tone for the next phase of India US strategic ties including a meeting expected on the sidelines of G7 between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
And in fact, Rubio arrived in a national capital today after kicking off his maiden 4-day visit in Kolkata. The extensive dialogue has been focusing on the key pillars of cooperation, including trade resets, defense partnerships, and regional energy security amidst ongoing global tension.
Gulf crisis is certainly one big backdrop in which this meeting assumes even more of importance. This high-profile meeting sets a definite path forward as New Delhi prepares to host the Quad Foreign Minister's meeting on 26th of May. Aman Sharma is now joining us from the newsroom. Ammon, a meeting lasted for over an hour. The significance, the importance and if possible the details of the meeting.
>> Well, we don't have any details yet. The first picture of this meeting has been tweeted by the US ambassador to India, Sergio God. You can see there Marco Rubio the US Secretary of State and the NSA speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also present there very much are Sergio Gore and on the other side the Indian side you can see SJ Shankr the India's foreign minister as well as the national security adviser Mr. Ajit Dwal is present there as well and later today Mr. J Shankar is expected at the US embassy where there's a big function which is happening. There's a reception as well in the evening. There's a public address of Marco Rubio around 5:25 p.m.
at the US embassy. A very keenly awaited address on what his first words will be on Indian soil. But a very important meeting. The meeting lasted for over an hour. So obviously there were very substantive discussions which we believe could have happened. uh the meeting started at 2 ended about 3:15 uh p.m.
And the meeting also significant pali because the first uh as soon as Marco Rubio in fact landed in Delhi he has got to meet the prime minister. He landed about 1:00 p.m. and at 2 p.m. he was at seat the prime minister's office meeting Mr. Modi. So clearly India in a way according that importance to the relationship with the US. So Joe Gore along with Marco Rubio there in those pictures and you know the quad meeting only happens on Tuesday when the foreign ministers of other countries will also be here but Marco Rubio has got to meet the has got to meet the prime minister today itself in a big substantive meeting. So it looks like very important discussions have happened. Of course energy uh trade semiconductors artificial intelligence all of this is top on the agenda of this visit as well as talks uh over the the evolving bilateral trade treaty which we have been talking for a while now both the countries and this is also a stepping stone and laying the ground for the big meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump which is likely at the G7 in France in June on June 16th 17th. So uh Aman what we are getting to know through ambassador Sergio Gore himself he is saying that secretary Marco Rubio extended an invite on behalf of the President Donald Trump for Prime Minister Modi to visit the white house in the near future. So that's at least one update that has now been given by the ambassador himself. Am >> well yes there we are hearing this from Sergio Gore himself that now that he has extended an invite to prime minister Narendra Modi to visit the white house in the near future uh in interestingly Shivani India's invite to Donald Trump to visit India is still pending so you know when the prime minister our prime minister went to the US uh last year in February as soon as Donald Trump had taken over India had invited uh Donald Trump to come to India especially for the quad summit which is to be hosted by India sometime maybe this year if the if the dates work out. So India in fact has been awaiting a visit by Donald Trump after PM Modi had paid that visit to the US. But now we see Marco Rubio inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. So we'll wait and see what the what the foreign ministry has to say on that. Usually this is protocol and you know usually the government say that they will obviously they acknowledge the invite and say that we'll get back to you in the near future on mutually convenient dates. But very important that this particular invite has again been asked reiterated. I remember when the prime minister Mr. Modi was had gone for the G7 in Canada last year in July.
At that time the meeting between Donald Trump and Mr. Mr. Modi could not happen because Donald Trump left Canada before Mr. Modi could reach but later in a phone call even then Donald Trump had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by in Washington DC and meet him.
But at time Mr. Modi had other commitments and other countries to visit. So he could not go to US at that time. Uh but another invite being extended. So interesting times. We'll have to see Shivani if Donald Trump comes to India first or will it be Prime Minister Modi paying a visit to the White House as per this invite.
>> But Rubio is a very powerful man and he matters a lot and his proximity to Donald Trump obviously is very well known. So this invite practically goes in on behalf of the American president and the prime minister and Donald Trump have spoken to each other. And before we go across to our guest, one quick question to you then Ammon is that can we expect that big meeting to take place? Of course, the G7 summit is coming up. That would make it the first meeting between Donald Trump and the prime minister in recent times.
>> Yes. You know the meeting happens at the G7 summit in France next month. June 1617 are the dates of that summit. That meeting will come after a long gap, you know, almost 15 to 16 months. In fact, the PM and Mr. Trump had met last in person in February at the White House last year and after that as you correctly say there have been 7 to 8 to 10 in fact phone calls exchanged between both the uh both the leaders and they have talked in substantial terms and during these particular phone calls but yes a physical meeting is still to happen we are all expecting that at the G7 since US has announced that Trump is likely to travel and India does travel for the G7 summit we went to Canada as well prime minister was there so it is expected Mr. The Modi is also going to travel. So a likely meeting at the G7 is very much on the cards.
>> That would be one to watch out for. A Raman, thanks a lot for joining us.
Rajiv Dogra, former diplomat, Brahma, strategic affairs expert and left general DP Pane, security analyst all with us. Left general, why don't I begin with you? There's lots to discuss and this you know this partnership on based on mutual values etc. All sounds great, but there have been some wrinkles in this relationship recently. Do you think Marco Rubio would be successful in kind of u pressing over those wrinkles and reigniting this relationship so to speak?
>> No, I think uh I'm not too sure about it. Uh basically I think uh it is a visit uh is it a visit of compulsion and not is totally out of necessity. Uh you know exactly what has happened today. US is totally alone in the world in this multipolar world. uh doesn't have any friends >> and uh they had virtually discarded this Indopacific interest and even the court part uh in last about since the time Trump had come and they thought that they can be able to get away from the responsibility towards Quad and Indo Indopac Pacific and uh the recent visit of Trump to China which was actually worse than a damn spotly has possibly put some maybe some uh sense in the Trump administration. But then of course let's look at this visit. This visit is not something out of the blue or something very well planned. It is a visit of Quad foreign ministers should have the the Quad leadership that is the summit was to have happened in 2025. It did not happen got postponed. There were foreign ministers who went there across and met each other in US last year and thereafter this year because technically should have been again a summit has not happened a summit as the foreign ministers meet. So actually it's a climb down kind of a visit and therefore he's actually while he's dual at it. He's a he's a state secretary of state and he's also an NSA. uh he has come here to talk and we may actually want to put lot of uh energy and time to it but I don't think so it is something very marketly uh different at least from the Indians uh point of view and I look at it uh while at the lower level at the level of administration the talks engagements have all been on but when you look at the deliverables uh the delays in what we had to get in time or what has signed and has to flow out has actually not happened. the public uh postulation by Trump and his various ministers, administrative officials against India in terms of controlling what do you call about Russian oil and so and so forth has actually not made very great friends in the Indian strategic community today because we all actually as a nation we looked up at US to be a lead for a long time and if Look at the latest uh ratings of US this thing has really come down from the Indian side as well because the way they have actually behaved in last about year and a half. So I think uh aim was not to reset. It is a visit of compulsion.
Still we will see as a reset when you just now the somebody made a mention that Trump hasn't invited for a prime minister to visit white house at the sun at his convenience. But you know these are all standard protocols. These are all soft talk and I'll rather say a pillow talk kind of a thing that okay you come over and this but if you recall the setting of the agenda last time when Trump gave phone call to prime minister Modi and said come visit white house when was going to meet the setting of agenda was very very deceptive very initious and uh was not actually anywhere near a top leadership talking to each other and engaging. So you know they will have to be very very careful because you are dealing with a nation with which the certain statements which are coming from US top administration that we will not give India the similar chance which they gave the Chinese to rise with the cost of America. This is these are some equations they are drawing is something very flawed and they need to correct this direction before you actually start engaging with a country which is actually a civilizational country. We are a nation which are different nation than uh US. It is not a transactional engagement which we carry out and this needs to change actually. So then only a >> you can see and observe the nuances. Now the fact that Kolkata chosen first then you come to Delhi you meet the prime minister for over an hour and you're going to be going to Agura you're going to go to Jaipur and important meetings and all this in the backdrop of everyone is talking about the fact is that things are not very great between India and America but we are trying to set all of that right. Is there something we should be seeing in these photo opportunities and the way the tour has been planned and in terms of protocol that India is trying to send out a subtle message to America that you cannot pressurize us whether it comes to trade talks, energy talks and so on.
>> Well, firstly good afternoon to both of you and to my fellow panelists. Uh listening to General Pande and perhaps to what uh Mr. Rhachalani might say it seems as if the three of us had conspired together before coming on your show. Uh because I agree entirely with what General Pande has said. Uh this visit by Marur Rubio who incidentally is a very smooth man >> uh is kind of person in whose case butter won't melt in his mouth. Uh so his coming here is an act of desperation after the humiliation Trump suffered in China and the beating he's got from Iran and their inability to bend Iran to their wishes. So India is not their favorite and in fact Rudio started off on a very wrong note. Pali you mentioned about Kolkata for Kolkata >> he went to Mother Teresa's asham that's unobjectionable though India has a particular point of view with regard to Mother Teresa's establishment uh but regardless of that he went there the only other engagement was at Victoria memorial to see the memorial not to talk to anyone in contrast when Hillary Clinton came here in 200 2 to Kolkata she called on the chief minister he has not bothered to call on either the chief minister or the government that's just now since you talked about diplomatic nuances that is how it started second his insistence that >> Mr. Mr. I'm sorry we're interrupting you but the prime minister post a meeting with Rubio has come out with a post on X and he says and we quote him happy to receive the US secretary of state Mr. Marco Rubio. We discuss sustained progress in the India US comprehensive global strategic partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and United States will continue to work closely for the global good.
>> Yes. So that statement coming in from the prime minister Rajiv Dogra you can also you know kind of mention a little bit of what you think is the messaging from the prime minister after this meeting.
>> Well prime minister is being very diplomatic I must say.
>> Yeah. So he has not revealed anything.
He's just said that okay he wanted to meet me. I met him and discussed the global situation which between the words does not seem favorable at all to USA.
>> But having said that let me come to my interpretation.
uh normally when uh you know ministers come after all Rubio is a minister he might be a minister of USA that's a different thing but he's a minister he's not the prime minister or president of a country >> normally ministers start by meeting other ministers foreign minister in this case external affairs minister of India >> maybe national security advisor perhaps defense minister and finally they are given a opportunity to call on the prime minister. The reason is very simple.
It's not just India that follows this practice. Every country does it by and large. Unless there's a grave emergency, the reason is that through these filters when they ultimately go to the summit, meaning the prime minister, then prime minister is always already given a briefing about what points he might raise, what are his objectives and what are his intentions. the visiting Delhi the dignitaries here he he he is taking the top leadership by surprise by giving him whatever he wants in the first go without giving a chance to rest of the leaders to filter it that is one second America is literally friendless it is the same America which is making India beg for sanctions relief in terms of oil okay we'll give you one and don't purchase anything from Iran.
>> Has America ever said that we will compensate you for the loss you're suffering from buying oil at a higher price than you would have bought from Russia or Iran? It runs into billions and billions of dollars. And as I think General Pandai mentioned, Rubio is the same one who's spoken in very derogatory terms about India in uh recent past.
>> So can I just come in here? Can I bring in Mr. Brahmachini here as well? uh safe to say that a certain amount of realism has set in as far as the India US relationship is concerned from the highs of let's say what we saw when Prime Minister Modi visited during Joe Biden's time. Uh it has all become a little bit tempered. Is that a temporary effect of how Donald Trump and his administration has behaved or do you think this is a lasting tempering of relationship?
I hope Shivari that realism has set in at least in the Indian thinking and policy because the way this visit has gone and I agree with ambassador Dorrah >> things have happened in an unusual manner instead of group of first having detailed discussions with Janka then calling on the prime minister this was supposed to be a call on Instead he makes a brief stop over in Kolkata and I'll come back to that why he made a brief stop over in Kolkata.
It's very very important why he made a brief stop over there. M >> then he comes to New Delhi and immediately he goes into a meeting with the prime minister with J Shankar and the NSA Ajit Dobal in attendance as if the highlight of Marco Rubio's India visit was the detailed discussions with Modi that extended for over an hour. That's not the way you should be dealing with a visiting foreign minister. I'm very surprised that that we that the prime minister agreed to have the detailed discussions with Marco Rubio without ministerial level discussions preceding what was supposed to be a colon. As far as the Kala visit is concerned, Shioani that is equally important. M >> Marco Rubio is a very deeply religious Catholic.
He is a contender um you know with Jerry Vance to succeed Trump as the MAGA movement's leader and a prospective heir to the White House. M >> the difference is that JD Vance has an interfaith family while Rubio openly panders to the MAGA movement's religious base. So he goes to Kolkata only for one purpose. He begins his India visit with a visit to the Kolkata headquarters of the missionaries of charity. Mother Teresa is a canonized Catholic saint and Rubio's visit uh to Mother Teresa's headquarters resonated both with his Catholic faith and among the US conservative Catholic voters. So there was a clear religious element which you know as you all know that um the Christian nationalist narrative is a core pillar of the MAGA movement. So you come to India, you make a very brief stop over in Kolkata.
>> You do it only for for religious purposes and then in the run-up to his India visit, uh Rubio mentioned or his aids mentioned that he would take up India's tightening of the foreign contribution regulation act FC.
India has tightened the FC to prevent its misuse by foreign funders. Now, Christian conservatives in Washington, including Representative Chris Smith, urged Rubio to press Modi to ease restrictions under the FC because these restrictions, according to the conservatives in the US, constrain the flow of foreign funds to Christian charities and churches in India. Now, that's the agenda with which he has come to India. I'm I'm you know I'm I think we need to really step back and and and wonder as to what his uh real um agenda is because >> but having said that Brahma I take your point on board having said that of course they're going to play to some of their domestic market right some of their conservative base uh not surprisingly but we'll wait to hear more from not only the Indian side but also from the American side or what was discussed with the prime minister let's wait to hear that >> shani the the real purpose of Marco Rubio's India visit is the Quad foreign minister's meeting. But if you look at the Department of State's announcement >> of Rubio's India visit, there's not even one word about the Quad foreign minister's meeting.
>> Exactly sir, I take your point. I think what is the real purpose, real messaging, what would be the lasting message of this trip? I think we need to wait a few hours on that. But I'm completely out of time. I do thank all of you for joining us and our focus coverage continues because there is an engagement at the US embassy in the national capital that secretary of state Marubio would be going to and external affairs minister SJ Shanka would be there as well. So possibly more on what was discussed and what is likely to take to be taken forward there. Stay with us.
like a dream come true with you.
>> Feels like summer.
Monte Carlo, it's the way you make me feel. Purple kiss.
you know still with us at this point of time. Thank you so much for remaining with us. So we just touching down I think another 15 to 20 minutes more to go for the prime minister's meeting with Rubio. Let's kind of predict. I know it's very hard to speculate when it comes to any meeting with the prime minister. What do you think could be on the agenda?
>> Santing him so many times. I don't I don't think He bit the bullet. He said stay tuned.
So see um two things. A secretaries don't travel halfway across the world for nothing.
>> So they travel with purpose. He travels with purpose. Absolutely no doubt on that. But I would I would go with um with the thought that it his travel is going to be to make June 15th to 17th that G7 summit sidelines success. So he is not going to steal the thunder from Trump. Mind you, he is certainly going to play the second fiddle, which means the announcements will not be maybe one or two great announcements could be substantial, but other announcement could be like I mean to say it in a you know pilot's language.
>> Marco Rubio is the runway and Trump Modi will be the airplane on which the runway will uh the aeroplane will take off from. So he is going to sort of pave way for that sideline meeting. That is one.
Second, no doubt he's the advanced team.
He's one of the major US diplomatic visit that is going to that has happened in the recent past. And mind you, Japan is part of the quad.
>> Back in 2022, there were visuals and images from Karnataka that traveled all across the country. These were images of women wearing hijab and protesting outside their campuses because they were not allowed to enter these campuses and education institutions wearing that attire. There were counterprotests as well where students wearing saffron shaws also protested and there was a push back against hijab in classrooms.
Much later we've seen now that the Karnataka government which is led by the Congress has issued an order and the order says that various other religious symbols such as the turban, the janeu and even the hijab and rud mala can be worn by students in classrooms. In the next half an hour, we'll tell you what was the reason behind the Congress government taking such a decision, the politics behind this entire decision and also whether the issue and debate around the hijab has once again read its head in Karnataka.
Karnataka has reopened the hijab debate after the state government revoked the 2022 order that had barred the wearing of the hijab and certain other religious symbols in schools and colleges. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his first official visit to India a long one at that 4 days and on the very first day in the national capital he's meeting the prime minister. That meeting lasted about an hour. Uh the first images now out uh important as far as the overall scenario of India US relationship is concerned. This meeting as you can see had other officials from both sides also present at sea tit in the national capital where it was concluded. The critical discussion lasted for over an hour. This could set the tone for the next phase of India US strategic ties including a meeting expected on the sidelines of G7 between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
>> And in fact, Rubio arrived in a national capital today after kicking off his maiden 4-day visit in Kolkata. The extensive dialogue has been focusing on the key pillars of cooperation including trade resets, defense partnerships, and regional energy security amidst ongoing global tension. Gulf crisis is certainly one big backdrop in which this meeting assumes even more of importance. This high-profile meeting sets a definite path forward as New Delhi prepares to host the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting on 26th of May. Ammon Sharma is now joining us from the newsroom. Ammon, a meeting lasted for over an hour. The significance, the importance and if possible the details of the meeting.
>> We don't have any details yet. The first picture of this meeting has been tweeted by the US ambassador to India Sergio Gore. You can see there Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and the NSA speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also present there very much are Sergio Gore and on the other side the Indian side you can see SJ Shankar the India's foreign minister as well as the national security adviser Mr. Ajit Dwal is present there as well and later today Mr. J. Shanker is expected at the US embassy where there's a big function which is happening. There's a reception as well in the evening. There's a public address of Marco Rubio around 5:25 p.m.
at the US embassy. A very keenly awaited address on what his first words will be on Indian soil. But a very important meeting. The meeting lasted for over an hour. So obviously there were very substantive discussions which we believe could have happened. Uh the meeting started at 2 ended about 3:15 uh p.m.
And the meeting also significant Palvi because the first uh as soon as Marco Rubio in fact landed in Delhi he has got to meet the prime minister. He landed about 1:00 p.m. and at 2 p.m. he was at Seat the prime minister's office meeting Mr. Modi. Clearly India in a way according that importance to the relationship with the US. Sergio Gore along with Marco Rubio there in those pictures and you know the quad meeting only happens on Tuesday when the foreign ministers of other countries will also be here but Marco Rubio has got to meet the has got to meet the prime minister uh today itself in a big substantive meeting. So it looks like very important uh discussions have happened. Of course energy uh trade semiconductors artificial intelligence all of this is top on the agenda of this visit as well as talks uh over the the evolving bilateral trade treaty which we have been talking for a while now both the countries and this is also a stepping stone and laying the ground for the big meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump which is likely at the G7 in France in June on June 16th 17th. So u Aman what we are getting to know through ambassador Sergio Gore himself he is saying that secretary Marco Rubio extended an invite on behalf of the President Donald Trump for prime minister Modi to visit the white house in the near future so that's at least one update that has now been given by the ambassador himself am >> well yes there we are hearing this from Sergio Gore himself that now that he has extended an invite to prime minister Narendra Modi to visit the white house in the near future uh in interesting ly Shivani India's invite to Donald Trump to visit India is still pending. So you know when the prime minister our prime minister went to the US uh last year in February as soon as Donald Trump had taken over India had invited uh Donald Trump to come to India especially for the quad summit which is to be hosted by India sometime maybe this year if the if the dates work out. So India in fact has been awaiting a visit by Donald Trump after PM Modi had paid that visit uh to the US. But now we see Marco Rubio inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. So we'll await and see what the what the foreign ministry has to say on that. Usually this is protocol and you know usually the government say that they will obviously they acknowledge the invite and say that we'll get back to you in the near future on mutually convenient dates. But very important that this particular invite has again been asked reiterated. I remember when the prime minister Mr. Modi was had gone for the G7 in Canada last year in July. At that time the meeting between Donald Trump and Mr. Mr. Modi could not happen because Donald Trump left Canada before Mr. Modi could reach. But later in a phone call even then Donald Trump had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by in Washington DC and meet him. But at time Mr. Modi had other commitments and other countries to visit. So he could not go to US at that time. But another invite being extended. So interesting times.
We'll have to see Shivani if Donald Trump comes to India first or will it be Prime Minister Modi paying a visit to the White House as for this invite.
>> But Rubio is a very powerful man and he matters a lot and his proximity to Donald Trump obviously is very well known. So this invite practically goes in on behalf of the American president and the prime minister and Donald Trump have spoken to each other. And before we go across to our guests, one quick question to you then Ammon is that can we expect that big meeting to take place? Of course the G7 summit is coming up. That would make it the first meeting between Donald Trump and the prime minister in recent times.
>> Yes sir. You know the meeting which happens at the G7 summit in France next month June 1617 are the dates of that summit. That meeting will come after a long gap you know almost 15 to 16 months. In fact the PM and Mr. Trump had met last in person in February at the White House last year. And after that as you correctly say there have been 7 to 8 to 10 in fact phone calls exchanged between both the uh both the leaders and they have talked in substantial terms and during these particular phone calls but yes a physical meeting is still to happen. We are all expecting that at the G7 since US has announced that Trump is likely to travel and India does travel for the G7 summit. We went to Canada as well. Prime Minister was there. So it is expected Mr. Modi is also going to travel. So a likely meeting at the G7 uh is very much on the cards.
>> That would be one to watch out for. A Raman. Thanks a lot for joining us.
Rajiv Dogra, former diplomat, Brahma Chalini, strategic affairs expert and left general DP Pane, security analyst all with us. Left general, why don't I begin with you? There's lots to discuss and this you know this partnership on based on mutual values etc. All sounds great but there have been some wrinkles in this relationship recently. Do you think Marco Rubio would be successful in kind of um pressing over those wrinkles and reigniting this relationship? so to speak.
>> No, I think uh I'm not too sure about it. Uh basically, I think uh it is a visit uh is it a visit of compulsion and not is totally out of the city. Uh you know exactly what has happened today. US is totally alone in the world in this multipolar world uh doesn't have any friends >> and uh they had virtually discarded this Indopacific interest and even the quad part uh in last about since the time Trump had come and they thought that they can be able to get away from the responsibility towards Quad and Indo Indopac Pacific and uh the recent visit of Trump to China which was actually worse than a dam as partly has possibly put some maybe some uh sense in the Trump administration. But then of course let's look at this visit. This visit is not uh something out of the blue or something very well planned. It is a visit of court foreign ministers should have the quad leadership that is the summit was to have happened in 2025. It did not happen got postponed. There were foreign ministers who went there across and met each other in US last year and thereafter this year because technically should have been again a summit has not happened a summit as the foreign ministers meet. So actually it's a climb down kind of a visit and therefore he's actually while he's dual at it he's a he's a state secretary of state and he's also an NSA uh he has come here to talk and we may actually want to put lot of uh energy and time to it but I don't think so it is something very marketly uh different at least from the Indians uh point of view and I look at it uh while at the lower level at the level of administration the talks engagements have all been on but when you look at the deliverables uh the delays in what we have to get in time or what has signed and has to flow out has actually not happened. the public uh postulation by Trump and his various ministers, administered officials against India in terms of controlling what do you call about Russian oil and uh so and so forth has actually not made very great friends in the Indian strategic community today because we all actually as a nation we looked up at US to be a lead for a long time and if you Look at the latest uh ratings of US uh uh this thing has really come down from the Indian side as well because the way they have actually behaved in last about year year and a half. So I think uh aim was not to reset. It is a visit of compulsion. Still we will see as a reset when you just know the somebody made us mention that Trump has sent an invite for a prime minister to visit uh white house at the sun at his convenience. But you know these are all standard protocols. These are all soft talk and uh I'll rather say a pillow talk kind of a thing that okay you come over and this but if you recall the setting of the agenda last time when Trump gave phone call to prime minister Modi and said come visit white house when was going to meet the setting of agenda was very very deceptive veryious and uh was not actually anywhere near her top leadership talking to each other and engaging. So you know uh they will have to be very very careful because you are dealing with a nation with which the certain statements which are coming from US top administration that we will not give India the similar chance which they gave the Chinese to rise the cost of America is these are some equations they are drawing is something very flawed and they need to correct this direction before you actually start engaging with the country which is actually a civilizational country. We are a nation which are different nation than uh US.
It is not a transational uh engagement which we carry out and this needs to change actually. So then only >> you can see and observe the nuances. Now the fact that Kolkata chosen first then you come to Delhi you meet the prime minister for over an hour and you're going to be going to Agura you're going to go to Jaipur and important meetings and all this in the backdrop of everyone is talking about the fact is that things are not very great between India and America but we are trying to set all of that right. Is there something we should be seeing in these photo opportunities and the way the tour has been planned and in terms of protocol that India is trying to send out a subtle message to America that you cannot pressurize us whether it comes to trade talks, energy talks and so on.
>> Well, firstly good afternoon to both of you and to my fellow panelists. Uh listening to General Pande and perhaps to what uh Mr. So Brahma Chalani might say it seems as if the three of us had conspired together before coming on your show. Uh because I agree entirely with what General Pande has said. Uh this visit by Marpur Rubio who incidentally is a very smooth man.
>> Uh is kind of person in whose case butter won't melt in his mouth. Uh so his coming here is an act of desperation after the humiliation Trump suffered in China and the beating he's got from Iran and their inability to bend Iran to their wishes. So India is not their favorite and in fact Rubio started off on a very wrong note. Pali you mentioned about Kolkata for Kolkata >> he went to Mother Teresa's asham that's unobjectionable though India has a particular point of view with regard to Mother Teresa's establishment uh but regardless of that he went there the only other engagement was at Victoria memorial to see the memorial not to talk to anyone in contrast when Hillary Clinton came here in 2012 to Kolkata she called on the chief minister he has not bothered to call on either the chief minister or the government that's just now since you talked about diplomatic nuances that is how it started second is insistence that >> Mr. Roa I'm sorry we're interrupting you but the prime minister post a meeting with Rubio has come out with a post on X and he says and we quote him happy to receive the US secretary of state Mr. Marco Rubio. We discuss sustained progress in the India US comprehensive global strategic partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and United States will continue to work closely for the global good.
Yes. So that statement coming in from the prime minister Raja you can also you know kind of mention a little bit of what you think is the messaging from the prime minister after this meeting.
>> Well prime minister is being very diplomatic I must say.
>> Yeah. So he has not revealed anything.
He's just said that okay he wanted to meet me. I met him and discuss the global situation which between the words does not seem favorable at all to USA.
>> But having said that let me come to my interpretation.
>> Uh >> normally when uh you know ministers come after all Rubio is a minister he might be a minister of USA that's a different thing but he's a minister. is not the prime minister or president of a country.
>> Normally ministers start by meeting other ministers, foreign minister in this case external affairs minister of India, >> maybe national security advisor perhaps defense minister and finally they are given the opportunity to call on the prime minister. The reason is very simple. It's not just India that follows this practice. Every country does it by and large unless there's a grave emergency.
The reason is that through these filters when they ultimately go to the summit meaning the prime minister then prime minister is always already given a briefing about what points he might raise what are his objectives and what are his intentions the visiting the dignitaries here he he he is taking the top leadership by surprise by giving him whatever he wants in the first go without giving the chance to restore the leaders to filter it. That is one.
Second, America is literally friendless.
It is the same America which is making India beg for sanctions relief in terms of oil. Okay, we'll give you one month and don't purchase anything from Iran.
>> Has America ever said that we will compensate you for the loss you're suffering from buying oil at a higher price than you would have bought from Russia or Iran? it turns into billions and billions of dollars and as I think General Pandai mentioned Ruba is the same one who's spoken in very derogatory terms about India in uh recent past >> so can I just come in here can I bring in Mr. Brahma Chaleni here as well. Uh safe to say that a certain amount of realism has set in as far as the India US relationship is concerned from the highs of let's say what we saw when Prime Minister Modi visited during Joe Biden's time. Uh it has all become a little bit tempered. Is that a temporary effect of how Donald Trump and his administration has behaved or do you think this is a lasting tempering of relationship?
I hope Shivari that realism has set in at least in the Indian thinking and policy >> because the way this visit has gone and I agree with ambassador Dora >> things have happened in an unusual manner instead of group of first having detailed discussions with Janka then calling on the prime minister this was supposed to be a call on >> instead he makes a brief stop over in Kolkata and I'll come back to that why he made a brief stop over in Kolkata it's very very important why he made a brief stop over there then he comes to New Delhi and immediately he goes into a meeting with the prime minister with J Shankar and the NSA >> Ajit Dobal in attendance as if the highlight of Marco Rubio's India visit was the detail discussions with Modi that extended for over an hour. That's not the way you should be dealing with a visiting foreign minister. I'm very surprised that that we that the prime minister agreed to have the detailed discussions with Marco Rubio without ministerial level discussions preceding what was supposed to be a colon. As far as the kala visit is concerned shani that is equally important.
>> Marco Rubio is a very deeply religious Catholic.
He is a contender um you know with Jerry Vance to succeed Trump as the MAGA movement's leader and a prospective heir to the White House.
>> The difference is that Jans has an interfaith family while Rubio openly panders to the MAGA movement's religious base. So he goes to Kolkata only for one purpose. He begins his India visit with a visit to the Kolkata headquarters of the missionaries of charity. Mother Teresa is a canonized Catholic saint and Rubio's visit uh to Mother Teresa's headquarters resonated both with his Catholic faith and among the US conservative Catholic voters. So there was a clear religious element which you know as as you all know that um the Christian nationalist narrative is a core pillar of the MAGA movement. So you come to India, you make a very brief stop over in Kolkata.
>> You do it only for for religious purposes and then in the run-up to his India visit, uh Rubio mentioned or his aids mentioned that he would take up India's tightening of the foreign contribution regulation act FC.
India has tightened the FC to prevent its misuse by foreign funders. Now, Christian conservatives in Washington, including Representative Chris Smith, urged Rubio to press Modi to ease restrictions under the FC because these restrictions according to the conservatives in the US constrain the flow of foreign funds to Christian charities and churches in India. Now, that's the agenda with which he has come to India. I'm I'm you know I'm I think we need to really step back and and and wonder as to what his uh real um agenda is because >> but having said that I take your point on board having said that of course they're going to play to some of their domestic market right some of their conservative base uh not surprisingly but we'll wait to hear more from not only the Indian side but also from the American side or what was discussed with the prime minister let's wait to hear that >> Shivani the the real purpose of Marco Rubio's India visit is the Quad foreign minister's meeting. But if you look at the Department of State's announcement >> of Rubio's India visit, there's not even one word about the Quad foreign minister's meeting.
>> Exactly sir. I take your point. I think what is the real purpose, real messaging, what would be the lasting message of this trip? I think we need to wait a few hours on that. But I'm completely out of time. I do thank all of you for joining us and our focused coverage continues because there is an engagement at the US embassy in the national capital that secretary of state Marubio would be going to and external affairs minister SJ Shanka would be there as well. So possibly more on what was discussed and what is likely to take to be taken forward there. Stay with us.
Feels like summer, Monte Carlo. It's the way you make me feel.
purple monkeys, you know, still with us at this point of time. Thank you so much for remaining with us. So, we're just touching down. I think another 15 to 20 minutes more to go for the prime minister's meeting with Rubio. Let's kind of predict. I know it's very hard to speculate when it comes to any meeting with the prime minister. What do you think could be on the agenda?
>> Santing him so many times. I don't I don't think he bit the bullet. He said stay tuned.
So, see um two things. Eight secretaries don't uh travel halfway across the world for nothing.
>> So they travel with purpose. He travels with purpose. Absolutely no doubt on that. But I would I would go with um with the thought that he his travel is going to be to make June 15th to 17th that G7 summit sidelines success. So he is not going to steal the panda from Trump mind you. He is certainly going to play the second fiddle which means the announcement will not be maybe one or two announcements could be substantial but other announcement could be like I mean to say it in a you know pilot language >> Marco Rubio is the runway and Trump Modi will be the aeroplane on which the runway will uh the aeropane will take off from. So he's going to sort of pave way for that sideline meeting. That is one. Second, no doubt he's the advanced team. He's one of the major US diplomatic visit that is going to that has happened in the recent past and mind you Japan is part of that war.
>> In 2022, there were visuals and images from Karnataka that traveled all across the country. These were images of women wearing hijab and protesting outside their campuses because they were not allowed to enter these campuses and education institutions wearing that attire. There were counterprotests as well where students wearing saffron shaws also protested and there was a push back against hijab in classrooms.
Much later we've seen now that the Karnataka government which is led by the Congress has issued an order and the order says that various other religious symbols such as the turban, the janeu and even the hijab and rud mala can be worn by students in classrooms.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his first official visit to India. A long one at that 4 days and on the very first day in the national capital he's meeting the prime minister. That meeting lasted about an hour. Uh the first images now out. Uh important as far as the overall scenario of India US relationship is concerned. This meeting as you can see had other officials from both sides also present at sea tit in the national capital where it was concluded. The critical discussion lasted for over an hour. This could set the tone for the next phase of India US strategic ties including a meeting expected on the sidelines of G7 between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
>> And in fact, Rubio arrived in a national capital today after kicking off his maiden 4-day visit in Kolkata. The extensive dialogue has been focusing on the key pillars of cooperation including trade resets, defense partnerships, and regional energy security amidst ongoing global tension. Gulf crisis is certainly one big backdrop in which this meeting assumes even more of importance. This high-profile meeting sets a definite path forward as New Delhi prepares to host the Quad Foreign Minister's meeting on 26th of May. Aman Sharma is now joining us from the newsroom. Ammon, a meeting lasted for over an hour. The significance, the importance and if possible the details of the meeting.
>> We don't have any details yet. The first picture of this meeting has been tweeted by the US ambassador to India Sergio Gore. You can see there Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and the NSA speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also present there very much are Sergio Gore and on the other side the Indian side you can see SJ Shankr the India's foreign minister as well as the national security adviser Mr. Ajit Dwal is present there as well and later today Mr. J Shankar is expected at the US embassy where there's a big function which is happening. There's a reception as well in the evening. There's a public address of Marco Rubio around 5:25 p.m.
at the US embassy. A very keenly awaited address on what his first words will be on Indian soil but a very important meeting. The meeting lasted for over an hour. So obviously there were very substantive discussions which we believe could have happened. uh the meeting started at 2 ended about 3:15 uh p.m.
And the meeting also significant palvi because the first uh as soon as Marco Rubio in fact landed in Delhi uh he has got to meet the prime minister. He landed about 1:00 p.m. and at 2 p.m. he was at seat the prime minister's office meeting Mr. Modi. So clearly India in a way according that importance to the relationship with the US. Sergio Gore along with Marco Rubio there in those pictures and you know the quad meeting only happens on Tuesday when the foreign ministers of other countries will also be here but Marco Rubio has got to meet the has got to meet the prime minister uh today itself in a big substantive meeting. So it looks like a very important discussions have happened. of course energy uh trade, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, all of this is top on the agenda of this visit as well as talks uh over the the evolving bilateral trade treaty which we have been talking for a while now both the countries and this is also a stepping stone and laying the ground for the big meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump which is likely at the G7 in France in June on June 16th 17th. So uh Aman what we are getting to know through ambassador Sergio Gore himself he is saying that secretary Marco Rubio extended an invite on behalf of the President Donald Trump for prime minister Modi to visit the white house in the near future. So that's at least one update that has now been given by the ambassador himself. Am >> well yes there we are hearing this from Sergio Gore himself that now that he has extended an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the white house in the near future uh in interestingly Shivani India's invite to Donald Trump to visit India is still pending so you know when the prime minister our prime minister went to the US uh last year in February as soon as Donald Trump had taken over India had invited uh Donald Trump to come to India especially for the quad summit which is to be hosted uh by India sometime maybe this year if the if the dates work out. So India in fact has been awaiting a visit by Donald Trump after PM Modi had paid that visit uh to the US. But now we see Marco Rubio inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. So we'll wait and see what the what the foreign ministry has to say on that. Usually this is protocol and you know usually the government say that they will obviously they acknowledge the invite and say that we'll get back to you in the near future on mutually convenient dates. But very important that this particular invite has again been asked been reiterated. I remember when the prime minister Mr. Modi was had gone for the G7 in Canada last year in July. At that time the meeting between Donald Trump and Mr. Mr. Modi could not happen because Donald Trump left Canada before Mr. Modi could reach but later in a phone call even then Donald Trump had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by in Washington DC and meet him. But at that time Mr. Modi had other commitments and other countries to visit. So he could not go to US at that time. Uh but another invite being extended. So interesting times. We'll have to see Shivani if Donald Trump comes to India first or will it be Prime Minister Modi paying a visit to the White House as for this invite.
>> But Rubio is a very powerful man and he matters a lot and his proximity to Donald Trump obviously is very well known. So this invite practically goes in on behalf of the American president and the prime minister and Donald Trump have spoken to each other. And before we go across to our guest, one quick question to you then Aman is that can we expect that big meeting to take place?
Of course, the G7 summit is coming up.
That would make it the first meeting between Donald Trump and the prime minister in recent times.
>> Yes. You know the meeting happens at the G7 summit in France next month. June 1617 are the dates of that summit. That meeting will come after a long gap, you know, almost 15 to 16 months. In fact, the PM and Mr. Trump had met last in person in February at the White House last year and after that as you correctly say there have been 7 to 8 to 10 in fact phone calls exchanged between both the uh both the leaders and they have talked in substantial terms in during these particular phone calls but yes a physical meeting is still to happen we are all expecting that at the G7 since US has announced that Trump is likely to travel and India does travel for the G7 summit we went to Canada as well prime minister was there so it is expected Mr. Modi is also going to travel. So a likely meeting at the G7 is very much on the cards.
>> That would be one to watch out for.
Raman, thanks a lot for joining us.
Rajiv Dogra, former diplomat, Brahma Chalini, strategic affairs expert and left general, DP Pane, security analyst, all with us. Left general, why don't I begin with you? There's lots to discuss and this you know this partnership on based on mutual values etc. All sounds great, but there have been some wrinkles in this relationship recently. Do you think Marco Rubio would be successful in kind of u pressing over those wrinkles and reigniting this relationship so to speak?
>> No, I think uh I'm not too sure about it. Uh basically I think uh it is a visit uh is it a visit of compulsion and not is totally out of necessity. Uh you know exactly what has happened today. US is totally alone in the world in this world.
uh doesn't have any friends >> and uh they have virtually discarded this Indo-Pacific interest and even the quad part uh in last about since the time Trump had come and they thought that they can be able to get away from the responsibility towards Quad and Indo Indoac Pacific and uh the recent visit of Trump to China which was actually worse than a damn spotly has possibly put some maybe some uh sense in the Trump administration. But then of course let's look at this visit. This visit is not something out of the blue or something very well planned. It is a visit of court foreign ministers should have the the quad leadership that is the summit was to have happened in 2025. It did not happen got postponed. There were foreign ministers who went there across and met each other in US last year and thereafter this year because technically should have been again a summit has not happened a summit as a foreign ministers meet. So actually it's a climb down kind of a visit and therefore he's actually while he's dualheaded he's a he's a state secretary of state and he's also an NSA uh he has come here to talk and we may actually want to put lot of uh energy and time to it but I don't think so it is something very marketly uh different at least from the Indians uh point of view and I look at it uh while at the lower level at the level of administration the talks engagements have all been on but when you look at the deliverables uh the delays in what we have to get in time or what are signed and has to flow out has actually not happened. the public uh postulation by Trump and his various ministers, administrative officials against India in terms of controlling what do you call about Russian oil and uh so and so forth has actually not made very great friends in the Indian strategic community today because we all actually uh as a nation we looked up at US to be a lead for a long time and if look at the latest uh ratings of US uh this thing has really come down from the Indian side as well because the way they have actually behaved in last about year and a half. So I think uh aim was not to reset. It is a visit of compulsion. Still we will see as a reset when you just know the somebody made us mention that Trump hasn't invited for a prime minister to visit white house at the sun at his convenience. But you know these are all standard protocols. These are all soft talk and I'll rather say a pillow talk kind of a thing that okay you come over and this but if you recall the setting of the agenda last time when Trump gave phone call to prime minister Modi and said come visit white house when aim was going to meet the setting of agenda was very very deceptive veryious and uh was not actually anywhere near a top leadership uh talking to each other and engaging. So you know uh they will have to be very very careful because you are dealing with a nation with which the certain statements which are coming from US top administration that we will not give India the similar chance which they gave the Chinese to rise the cost of America is these are some equations they are drawing is something very flawed and they need to correct this direction before you actually start engaging with the country which is actually a civilizational country. We are a nation which are different nation than uh US.
It is not a transactional uh engagement which we carry out and this needs to change actually. So then only a >> you can see and observe the nuances. Now the fact that Kolkata chosen first then you come to Delhi you meet the prime minister for over an hour and you're going to be going to Agura you're going to go to Jaipur and important meetings and all this in the backdrop of everyone is talking about the fact is that things are not very great between India and America but we are trying to set all of that right is there something we should be seeing in these photo opportunities and the way the tour has been planned and in terms of protocol that India is trying to send out a subtle message to America that you cannot pressurize us whether it comes to trade talks, energy talks and so on.
>> Well, firstly good afternoon to both of you and to my fellow panelists. Uh listening to General Pande and perhaps to what uh Mr. Brahma Chalani might say, it seems as if the three of us had conspired together before coming on your show. Uh because I agree entirely with what General Pande has said. uh this visit by Marguil who incidentally is a very smooth man >> uh is kind of person in whose case butter won't melt in his mouth. Uh so his coming here is an act of desperation after the humiliation Trump suffered in China and the beating he's got from Iran and their inability to bend Iran to their wishes. So India is not their favorite and in fact Rubio started off on a very wrong note. Pali you mentioned about Kolkata or Kolkata.
>> He went to Mother Teresa's asham as unobjectionable though India has a particular point of view with regard to Mother Teresa's establishment. Uh but regardless of that he went there. The only other engagement was at Victoria Memorial to see the memorial not to talk to anyone. In contrast, when Hillary Clinton came here in 2012 to Kolkata, she called on the chief minister. He has not bothered to call on either the chief minister or the government. That's just now since we talked about diplomatic nuances. That is how it started. Second is the insistence that >> Mr. I'm sorry we're interrupting you but the prime minister post a meeting with Rubio has come out with a post on X and he says and we quote him happy to receive the US secretary of state Mr. Marco Rubio. We discuss sustained progress in the India US comprehensive global strategic partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and United States will continue to work closely for the global good.
>> Yes. So that statement coming in from the prime minister Rajid Dogra you can also you know kind of mention a little bit of what you think is the messaging from the prime minister after this meeting.
>> Well prime minister has been very diplomatic I must say.
>> Yeah. So he has not revealed anything.
He's just said that okay he wanted to meet me. I met him and discussed the global situation which between the words does not seem favorable at all to USA.
>> But having said that let me come to my interpretation.
uh normally when uh you know ministers come after all Rubio is a minister he might be a minister of USA that's a different thing but he's a minister he's not the prime minister or president of a country >> normally ministers start by meeting other ministers foreign minister in this case external affairs minister of India >> maybe national security advisor perhaps defense minister and finally they are given a opportunity to call on the prime minister. The reason is very simple.
It's not just India that follows this practice. Every country does it by and large. Unless there's a grave emergency, the reason is that through these filters when they ultimately go to the summit, meaning the prime minister, then prime minister is always already given a briefing about what points he might raise, what are his objectives and what are his intentions. the visiting Delhi the dignitaries here he he he is taking the top leadership by surprise by giving him whatever he wants in the first go without giving a chance to rest of the leaders to filter it that is one second America is literally friendless it is the same America which is making India beg for sanctions relief in terms of oil okay we'll give you one and don't purchase anything from Iran.
>> Has America ever said that we will compensate you for the loss you're suffering from buying oil at a higher price than you would have bought from Russia or Iran? It runs into billions and billions of dollars. And as I think General Pandai mentioned, Rubira is the same one who's spoken in very derogatory terms about India in recent past.
>> So can I just come in here? Can I bring in Mr. Brahma Chalini here as well? uh safe to say that a certain amount of realism has set in as far as the India US relationship is concerned from the highs of let's say what we saw when Prime Minister Modi visited during Joe Biden's time. Uh it has all become a little bit tempered. Is that a temporary effect of how Donald Trump and his administration has behaved or do you think this is a lasting tempering of relationship?
I hope Shivari that realism has set in at least in the Indian thinking and policy because the way this visit has gone and I agree with ambassador to >> things have happened in an unusual manner instead of group of first having detailed discussions with Janka then calling on the prime minister. This was supposed to be a call on Instead he makes a brief stop over in Kolkata and I'll come back to that why he made a brief stop over in Kolkata.
It's very very important why he made a brief stop over there.
>> Then he comes to New Delhi and immediately he goes into a meeting with the prime minister with J Shankar and the NSA Ajit Dobal in attendance.
As if the highlight of Marco Rubio's India visit was the detailed discussions with Modi that extended for over an hour. That's not the way you should be dealing with a visiting foreign minister. I'm very surprised that that we that the prime minister agreed to have the detailed discussions with Marco Rubio without ministerial level discussions preceding what was supposed to be a colon as far as the kara visit is concerned Shivani that is equally important.
>> Marco Rubio is a very deeply religious Catholic.
He is a contender um you know with Jerry Vance to succeed Trump as the MAGA movement's leader and a prospective heir to the White House.
>> The difference is that JD Vance has an interfaith family while Rubio openly panders to the MAGA movement's religious base. So he goes to Kolkata only for one purpose. He begins his India visit with a visit to the Kolkata headquarters of the missionaries of charity. Mother Teresa is a canonized Catholic saint and Rubio's visit uh to Mother Teresa's headquarters resonated both with his Catholic faith and among the US conservative Catholic voters. So there was a clear religious element which you know as as you all know that um the Christian nationalist narrative is a core pillar of the MAGA movement. So you come to India you make a very brief stop over in Kolkata.
you do it only for for religious purposes and then in the run-up to his India visit uh Rubio mentioned or his aids mentioned that he would take up India's tightening of the foreign contribution regulation act FC India has tightened the FC to prevent its misuse by foreign funders now Christian conservatives in Washington including representative Chris Smith urged Rubio to press Modi to ease restrictions under the FC because these restrictions according to the conservatives in the US constrain the flow of foreign funds to Christian charities and churches in India. Now that's the agenda with which he has come to India. I I'm you know I I think we need to really step back and and and wonder as to what his uh real um agenda is because >> but having said that Baba I take your point on board having said that of course they're going to play to some of their domestic market right some of their conservative base uh not surprisingly but we'll wait to hear more from not only the Indian side but also from the American side of what was discussed with the prime minister let's wait to hear that >> shani the the real purpose of Marco Rubio's India visit is the Quad foreign minister's meeting. But if you look at the Department of State's announcement >> of Rubio's India visit, there's not even one word about the Quad foreign minister's meeting.
>> Exactly sir, I take your point. I think what is the real purpose, real messaging, what would be the lasting message of this trip? I think we need to wait a few hours on that. But I'm completely out of time. I do thank all of you for joining us and our focused coverage continues because there is an engagement at the US embassy in the national capital that secretary of state Marco Rubio would be going to and external affairs minister SJ Shanka would be there as well. So possibly more on what was discussed and what is likely to take to be taken forward there. Stay with us.
Feels like summer.
Monte Carlo, it's the way you make me feel.
Purple monkeys.
you know still with us at this point of time. Thank you so much for remaining with us. So we just touching down I think another 15 to 20 minutes more to go for the prime minister's meeting with Rubio. Let's kind of predict. I know it's very hard to speculate when it comes to any meeting with the prime minister. What do you think could be on the agenda?
>> Santing him so many times. I don't I don't think the bullet is that and stay tuned. So see um two things a secretaries don't uh travel halfway across the world for nothing. M >> so they travel with purpose. He travels with purpose. Absolutely no doubt on that. But I would I would go with um with the thought that he his travel is going to be to make June 15th to 17th that G7 summit sidelines success. So he is not going to steal the thunder from Trump mind you. He is certainly going to play the second fiddle which means the announcement will not be maybe one or two great announcements could be substantial but other announcement could be like I mean to say it in a you know pilot's language.
>> Marco Rubio is the runway and Trump Modi will be the airplane on which the runway will uh the aeroplane will take off from. So he's going to sort of pave way for that sideline meeting. That is one.
Second, no doubt he's the advanced team.
He's one of the major US diplomatic visit that is going to that has happened in the recent past. And mind you, Japan is part of that war.
>> Back in 2022, there were visuals and images from Karnataka that traveled all across the country. These were images of women wearing hijab and protesting outside their campuses because they were not allowed to enter these campuses and education institutions wearing that attire. There were counterprotests as well where students wearing saffron shaws also protested and there was a push back against hijab in classrooms.
Much later we have seen now that the Karnataka government which is led by the Congress has issued an order and the order says that various other religious symbols such as the turban, the Janeu and even the hijab and Gujarat Mala can be worn by students in classrooms.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his first official visit to India. A long one at that four days and on the very first day in the national capital he's meeting the prime minister. That meeting lasted about an hour. Uh the first images now out. Uh important as far as the overall scenario of India US relationship is concerned. This meeting as you can see had other officials from both sides also present at seat in the national capital where it was concluded.
The critical discussion lasted for over an hour. This could set the tone for the next phase of India US strategic ties including a meeting expected on the sidelines of G7 between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
>> And in fact, Rubio arrived in a national capital today after kicking off his maiden 4-day visit in Kolkata. The extensive dialogue has been focusing on the key pillars of cooperation including trade resets, defense partnerships, and regional energy security amidst ongoing global tension. Gulf crisis is certainly one big backdrop in which this meeting assumes even more of importance. This high-profile meeting sets a definite path forward as New Delhi prepares to host the Quad Foreign Minister's meeting on 26th of May. Aman Sharma is now joining us from the newsroom. Ammon, a meeting lasted for over an hour. The significance, the importance and if possible, the details of the meeting.
>> We don't have any details yet. The first picture of this meeting has been tweeted by the US ambassador to India Sergio Gore. You can see there Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and the NSA speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also present there very much are Sergio Gore and on the other side the Indian side you can see SJ Shankr the India's foreign minister as well as the national security adviser Mr. Ajit Dwal is present there as well and later today Mr. J Shankar is expected at the US embassy where there's a big function which is happening. There's a reception as well in the evening. There's a public address of Marco Rubio around 5:25 p.m.
at the US embassy. A very keenly awaited address on what his first words will be on Indian soil but a very important meeting. The meeting lasted for over an hour. So obviously there were very substantive discussions which we believe could have happened. uh the meeting started at 2 ended about 3:15 uh p.m.
And the meeting also significant pali because the first uh as soon as Marco Rubio in fact landed in Delhi uh he has got to meet the prime minister. He landed about 1:00 p.m. and at 2 p.m. he was at seat the prime minister's office meeting Mr. Modi. So clearly India in a way according that importance to the relationship with the US. Sergio Gore along with Marco Rubio there in those pictures and you know the quad meeting only happens on Tuesday when the foreign ministers of other countries will also be here but Marco Rubio has got to meet the has got to meet the prime minister uh today itself in a big substantive meeting. So it looks like very important uh discussions have happened. Of course energy uh trade semiconductors artificial intelligence all of this is top on the agenda of this visit as well as talks uh over the the evolving bilateral trade treaty which we have been talking for a while now both the countries and this is also a stepping stone and laying the ground for the big meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump which is likely at the G7 in France in June on June 16th 17th. So u Aman what we are getting to know through ambassador Sergio Gore himself he is saying that secretary Marco Rubio extended an invite on behalf of the President Donald Trump for prime minister Modi to visit the white house in the near future. So that's at least one update that has now been given by the ambassador himself. Am >> well yes there we are hearing this from Sergio Gore himself that now that he has extended an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the white house in the near future. Uh in interestingly Shivani India's invite to Donald Trump to visit India is still pending. So you know when the prime minister our prime minister went to the US uh last year in February as soon as Donald Trump had taken over India had invited uh Donald Trump to come to India especially for the quad summit which is to be hosted uh by India sometime maybe this year if the if the dates work out. So India in fact has been awaiting a visit by Donald Trump after PM Modi had paid that visit uh to the US. But now we see Marco Rubio inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. So we'll wait and see what the what the foreign ministry has to say on that. Usually this is protocol and you know usually the government say that they will obviously they acknowledge the invite and say that we'll get back to you in the near future on mutually convenient dates. But very important that this particular invite has again been asked reiterated. I remember when the prime minister Mr. Modi was had gone for the G7 in Canada last year in July. uh at that time the meeting between Donald Trump and Mr. uh Mr. Modi could not happen because Donald Trump left Canada before Mr. Modi could reach but later in a phone call even then Donald Trump had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by in Washington DC and meet him but at time Mr. Modi had other commitments and other countries to visit. So he could not go to US at that time. Uh but another invite being extended. So interesting times. We'll have to see Shivani if Donald Trump comes to India first or will it be Prime Minister Modi paying a visit to the White House as for this invite.
>> But Rubio is a very powerful man and he matters a lot and his proximity to Donald Trump obviously is very well known. So this invite practically goes in on behalf of the American president and the prime minister and Donald Trump have spoken to each other. And before we go across to our guest, one quick question to you then Ammon is that can we expect that big meeting to take place? Of course, the G7 summit is coming up. That would make it the first meeting between Donald Trump and the prime minister in recent times.
>> Yes. You know the meeting happens at the G7 summit in France next month. June 1617 are the dates of that summit. That meeting will come after a long gap, you know, almost 15 to 16 months. In fact, the PM and Mr. Trump had met last in person in February at the White House last year and after that as you correctly say there have been 7 to 8 to 10 in fact phone calls exchanged between both the uh both the leaders and they have talked in substantial terms in during these particular phone calls but yes a physical meeting is still to happen we are all expecting that the G7 since US has announced that Trump is likely to travel and India does travel for the G7 summits we went to Canada as well prime minister was there so it is expected Mr. Modi is also going to travel. So a likely meeting at the G7 is very much on the cards.
>> That would be one to watch out for.
Raman, thanks a lot for joining us.
Rajiv Dogra, former diplomat, Brahma, strategic affairs expert and left general DP pane, security analyst, all with us. Left general, why don't I begin with you? There's lots to discuss and this you know this partnership on based on mutual values etc. All sounds great, but there have been some wrinkles in this relationship recently. Do you think Marco Rubio would be successful in kind of u pressing over those wrinkles and reigniting this relationship so to speak?
>> No, I think uh I'm not too sure about it. Uh basically I think uh it is a visit uh is it a visit of compulsion and not is totally out of necessity. Uh you know exactly what has happened today. US is totally alone in the world in this world.
uh doesn't have any friends >> and uh they have virtually discarded this Indo-Pacific interest and even the court part uh in last about since the time Trump had come and they thought that they can be able to get away from the responsibility towards Quad and Indo Indoac Pacific and uh the recent visit of Trump to China which was actually worse than a damn spotly has possibly put some maybe some uh sense in the Trump administration. But then of course let's look at this visit. This visit is not uh something out of the blue or something very well planned. It is a visit of court foreign ministers should have the the cord leadership that is the summit was to have happened in 2025. It did not happen got postponed. There were foreign ministers who went there across and met each other in US last year and thereafter this year because technically should have been again a summit has not happened a summit as the foreign ministers meet. So actually it's a climb down kind of a visit and therefore he's actually while he's dual at it. He's a he's a state secretary of state and he's also an NSA. Uh he has come here to talk and we may actually want to put lot of uh energy and time to it but I don't think so. It is something very marketly uh different at least from the Indians uh point of view and I look at it uh while at the lower level at the level of administration the talks engagements have all been on but when you look at the deliverables uh the delays in what we have to get in time or what has signed and has to flow out has actually not happened. the public uh postulation by Trump and his various ministers, administrative officials against India in terms of controlling what do you call about Russian oil and uh so and so forth has actually not made very great friends in the Indian strategic community today because we all actually uh as a nation we looked up at US to be a lead for a long time and if Look at the latest uh ratings of US uh this thing has really come down from the Indian side as well because the way they have actually behaved in last about year and a half. So I think uh aim was not to reset. It is a visit of compulsion. Still we will see as a reset when you just know the somebody made us mention that Trump hasn't invited for our prime minister to visit white house at the sun at his convenience. But you know these are all standard protocols. These are all soft talk and I'll rather say a pillow talk kind of a thing that okay you come over and this but if you recall the setting of the agenda last time when Trump gave phone call to prime minister Modi and said come visit white house when was going to meet the setting of agenda was very very deceptive veryious and uh was not actually anywhere near a top leadership talking to each other and engaging. So you know uh they will have to be very very careful because you are dealing with a nation with which the certain statements which are coming from US top administration that we will not give India the similar chance which they gave the Chinese to rise the cost of America. is is these are some equations they are drawing is something very flawed and they need to correct this direction before you actually start engaging with a country which is actually a civilizational country. We are a nation which are different nation than uh US. It is not a transactional engagement which we carry out and this needs to change actually. So then only a >> you can see and observe the nuances. Now the fact that Kolkata chosen first then you come to Delhi you meet the prime minister for over an hour and you're going to be going to Agura you're going to go to Jaipur and important meetings and all this in the backdrop of everyone is talking about the fact is that things are not very great between India and America but we are trying to set all of that right. Is there something we should be seeing in these photo opportunities and the way the tour has been planned and in terms of protocol that India is trying to send out a subtle message to America that you cannot pressurize us whether it comes to trade talks, energy talks and so on.
>> Well, firstly good afternoon to both of you and to my fellow panelists. Uh listening to General Pande and perhaps to what uh Mr. Brahma Chalani might say it seems as if the three of us had conspired together before coming on your show. Uh because I agree entirely with what General Pande has said. Uh this visit by Marco Rubio who incidentally is a very smooth man >> uh is kind of person in whose case butter won't melt in his mouth. Uh so his coming here is an act of desperation after the humiliation Trump suffered in China and the beating he's got from Iran and their inability to bend Iran to their wishes. So India is not their favorite and in fact Rudio started off on a very wrong note. Pali you mentioned about Kolkata for Kolkata >> he went to Mother Teresa's asham that's unobjectionable though India has a particular point of view with regard to Mother Teresa's establishment uh but regardless of that he went there the only other engagement was at Victoria memorial to see the memorial not to talk to anyone in contrast when Hillary Clinton came here in 200 2 to Kolkata she called on the chief minister he has not bothered to call on either the chief minister or the government that's just now since you talked about diplomatic nuances that is how it started second his insistence that >> Mr. I'm sorry we're interrupting you but the prime minister post a meeting with Rubio has come out with a post on X and he says and we quote him happy to receive the US secretary of state Mr. Marco Rubio. We discuss sustained progress in the India US comprehensive global strategic partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and United States will continue to work closely for the global good.
Yes. So that statement coming in from the prime minister Rajiv Dogra you can also you know kind of mention a little bit of what you think is the messaging from the prime minister after this meeting.
>> Well prime minister is being very diplomatic I must say.
>> Yeah. So he has not revealed anything.
He's just said that okay he wanted to meet me. I met him and discussed the global situation which between the words does not seem favorable at all to USA.
>> But having said that let me come to my interpretation.
uh normally when uh you know ministers come after all is a minister he might be a minister of USA that's a different thing but he's a minister he's not the prime minister or president of a country >> normally ministers start by meeting other ministers foreign minister in this case external affairs minister of India >> maybe national security advisor perhaps defense minister and finally they are given a opportunity to call on the prime minister. The reason is very simple.
It's not just India that follows this practice. Every country does it by and large. Unless there's a grave emergency, the reason is that through these filters when they ultimately go to the summit, meaning the prime minister, then prime minister is always already given a briefing about what points he might raise, what are his objectives and what are his intentions. the visiting the dignitaries. Here he he is taking the top leadership by surprise by giving him whatever he wants in the first book without giving a chance to rest of the leaders to filter it. That is one.
Second, America is literally friendless.
It is the same America which is making India beg for sanctions relief in terms of oil. Okay, we'll give you one month and don't purchase anything from Iran.
>> Has America ever said that we will compensate you for the loss you're suffering from buying oil at a higher price than you would have bought from Russia or Iran? It runs into billions and billions of dollars and as I think General Pandai mentioned, Ruba is the same one who's spoken in very derogatory terms about India in uh recent past.
>> So can I just come in here? Can I bring in Mr. Mr. Brahma Chaleni here as well.
Uh safe to say that a certain amount of realism has set in as far as the India US relationship is concerned from the highs of let's say what we saw when Prime Minister Modi visited during Joe Biden's time. Uh it has all become a little bit tempered. Is that a temporary effect of how Donald Trump and his administration has behaved or do you think this is a lasting tempering of relationship?
I hope Shivari that realism has set in at least in the Indian thinking and policy because the way this visit has gone and I agree with ambassador to >> things have happened in an unusual manner instead of group of first having detailed discussions with Janka then calling on the prime minister. This was supposed to be a call on Instead he makes a brief stop over in Kolkata and I'll come back to that why he made a brief stop over in Kolkata.
It's very very important why he made a brief stop over there.
>> Then he comes to New Delhi and immediately he goes into a meeting with the prime minister with J Shankar and the NSA Ajit Doval in attendance.
As if the highlight of Marco Rubio's India visit was the detailed discussions with Modi that extended for over an hour. That's not the way you should be dealing with a visiting foreign minister. I'm very surprised that that we that the prime minister agreed to have the detailed discussions with Marco Rubio without ministerial level discussions preceding what was supposed to be a colon. As far as the cultural visit is concerned, Shioani that is equally important.
>> Marco Rubio is a very deeply religious Catholic.
He is a contender um you know with Jerry Vance to succeed Trump as the MAGA movement's leader and a prospective heir to the White House.
>> The difference is that Jay Vance has an interfaith family while Rubio openly panders to the MAGA movement's religious base. So he goes to Kolkata only for one purpose. He begins his India visit with a visit to the Kolkata headquarters of the missionaries of charity. Mother Teresa is a canonized Catholic saint and Rubio's visit uh to Mother Teresa's headquarters resonated both with his Catholic faith and among the US conservative Catholic voters. So there was a clear religious element which you know as as you all know that um the Christian nationalist narrative is a core pillar of the MAGA movement. So you come to India you make a very brief stop over in Kolkata.
you do it only for for religious purposes. And then in the run-up to his India visit, uh Rubio mentioned or his aids mentioned that he would take up India's tightening of the foreign contribution regulation act FC.
India has tightened the FC to prevent its misuse by foreign funders. Now Christian conservatives in Washington representative Chris Smith urged Rubio to press Modi.
>> And with that one of the items that makes that potential happen is highlevel engagements. And so please help me in giving a very warm welcome to the greatest secretary of state in history, Marco Rubio.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I've only been on the job for a year and a half, Sergio, so I still have plenty of time to mess it up. So, let's not do those proclaimments here. But that's a very, very nice introduction. And I want to thank all of you for being here today. What all of you do. First, I do want to recognize the work that Ambassador Gore is doing, who's a friend of mine before he came here. And we knew when he would come here, he would be a dynamo, and he would have energy to the mission. And I hope you've perceived that. His excitement uh for for the job is is palpable. and and and you see it in the results. Second, uh I want to thank all of you to help us here in this mission. And let me begin, and I don't think our folks will be offended if I do this. I always begin by recognizing and thanking our locally employed staff. Uh if you're here, just want you to know you are an important part of our family.
We could not do our job without you.
They really are. I mean, they are the institutional memory. You know, our folks, as you know, rotate every two or three years. We come and go. We go back.
We go back to DC. They go to other places. They move on to other assignments. But every time a new officer comes in, every time someone new comes in, it is that institutional memory of the locally employed staff that allows us to aver avoid the early pitfalls, learn from the past, and hit the ground running. And so we're grateful to all of you for what you do.
I I want to comment about two things.
First, about this building. I'm glad to be here. I believe in my I and not not do I believe I know that in my year and a half as secretary of state it's the first new building that I get a chance to cut the ribbon on or inaugurate. So and obviously this facility because of all the upgrades it provides us it makes it easier for do for you to do the job.
But I I think as Ambassador Gore outlined a moment ago the building stands as more than just brick and mortar. It's more than just the structure. It is I hope a sign of our commitment to this important relationship between the United States and India. It is this relationship between our two countries is at the cornerstone of our approach to the endoacific. I a lot of people aren't aware of this or you know but I was sworn in as secretary of state on Tuesday or Wednesday. It was a Tuesday after the inauguration. Within the hour I was at the state department, spoke briefly as is tradition in the lobby of that building to our staff and then went immediately upstairs to the eighth floor and my first meeting my very first meeting officially as secretary of state was a meeting of the quad and we were going to renew that. We did it again last year in a second in a different setting and we're and we chose to do it here. We wanted to do it here not just because of our commitment to that structure of work but also as a tangible sign of what an important role India plays in the United States and in our posture and in our approach to the Indoacific.
Anchoring that is the relationship between the president and the prime minister. It's a personal relationship that dates back to the first administration when the president had a chance to visit here and it has carried over into this second administration. Um and and you can just see the connection between them and I think that's incredibly important. It is the connection between leaders is incredibly important. These are two very serious leaders that are focused not just on the short term but on the long term. And um and so I I think that uh that that is important to note because it's at the it's a key part of the foundation of the relationship between our countries. And just in the past year, we've seen this partnership deepen in ways that don't often make headlines or aren't splashy, but are important and real and tangible and enduring. We've expanded commercial ties now with more than 20 billion in investments. 20 billion in investments from Indian companies in the United States. We've deepened security partnership through military exercises in the Indoacific. Uh and and of course as part of that we we recognize that an orderly and a secure consular system is vital to solidifying this important relationship. That's why we're introducing a new America first vis visa scheduling tool that prioritizes business professionals that strengthen these ties and uh but but it the facility as I said is not just for those that are applying for visas. It's also for you, the Americans who work here, uh, the men and women of this mission who are at the front lines every single day of advancing America's national interest and and and in that America's national security. So, uh, it's an honor really to be here today. I wanted to keep this brief because it's hot.
It's hot. It's although it's not hum like I'm from Miami. There's a humid hot and then there's this hot, but it's like what time is it? It should be getting cooling off by now. And uh so I don't want to keep you here much longer than you need to be, but I I just I want to say one thing. This facility saved Americans money uh because it's going to make us more efficient. It's going to allow us to do the work we have to do anyways, but allow us to do it more accurately, faster, and in a more efficient way. And so this is very important. And um and again, I want them to close by thanking the team here at the US Embassy for your hard work, for your professionalism, for your patriotism. The work you do benefits your country and benefits Americans that are here and ultimately Americans back home and across the globe and it is at the cornerstone of this important partnership between us and India which as I said is an incredibly important one and it's the reason why I'm here in this visit to reaffirm those ties to build upon them and we think in the months ahead we're going to have even more exciting and new announcements to make about the development and the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries and all of you will be at the forefront of that. So, thank you very much. Thank you.
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state talking about uh the US embassy in New Delhi. He had something to say about the weather definitely as it's rather hot.
So he's kept his interaction before the waiting media rather brief but he does speak about 20 billion in investment from >> Indian companies to the United States.
>> THANK YOU So some important aspects that have been underlined after Sergio Gore introduced the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and invited him to speak at the US embassy in New Delhi. I just mentioned about the 20 billions in investment for Indian companies in the United States of America. So this is in a sense also a reset after the saring of ties that happened because of the India US uh trade deal that uh went south to say the least. But uh two very serious leaders that's what uh Marco Rubio said who are focused not just on the short term but also on the long term. He was talking about US President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Uh he's further gone ahead and spoken about the deep uh security partnership through military exercises in the Indo Pacific and that's why the 26th quad foreign minister's meeting becomes rather important because remember all of this is coming at the back of US President Donald Trump coming back from Beijing. Uh have not got anything constructive from China. So probably this trip to India by the secretary becomes rather important. The Americans who work here he says uh the men and women of the mission who are the front lines every day of advancing America's national interest and uh uh are the ones who are rather significant. He's also spoken about strengthening ties. This is one aspect that has been constantly being underlined but not by not just Sergio Gore but by the secretary of state in his address as well. My colleague Aman Sharma is constantly with us here to dissect the speech short speech. Shan uh he did compla complain briefly about the weather on how hot it is in the national capital but has said some things which are constructive but we can't really no help but notice that everything is um somehow directed at strategic partnership on the ties that India and uh US really have and deepening of those very ties but in a sense it's also underlining that strategic reset that America is now looking at with India considering they've not gotten anything constructive from China the last trip that US president has has had there.
>> Well, absolutely Gre I think three clear points coming across in both Sergio Gore and Marco Rubio's speech here. One, number one, of course, both the leaders are very appreciative of the $20 billion investment that Indian companies have made in the US. Sergio got there saying he was simply blown away when he heard of this big figure. Marco Rubio also complimenting India for the same. So this uh $20 billion investment that Indian companies have made in the US is getting a lot of uh you know uh good points from the US and both the leaders mentioned that. Uh secondly I think the mention about the Indopacific. Now US stands for a free and open Indoacific.
It has been working with India in this regard and now Marco Rubio going there and saying that our relationship with India, India helps us uh approach IndoPacific in the way we do. So I think again a very important statement about Indopacific about Indo and US India and US being close partners in this regard is something that reflects in the speech of Marco Rubio also both the leaders speaking about the close personal relationship the good bond between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump you know that reflected even even in the meeting that Nakar Rubio and Sajyogar had with the prime minister when Mr. Rubio has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit.
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