Declined President Trump's invitation to visit US as I wanted to come to Lord Jagannath's land: PM Modi

BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he declined US President Donald Trump's invitation for a luncheon with him in Washington DC because he had to return to Odisha, the sacred land of Lord Jagannath.
Addressing a massive gathering in Bhubaneswar, marking the first anniversary of the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government in the state, the Prime Minister said he got a call from Trump while he was in Canada for the G7 summit.
'Just two days ago, I was in Canada attending the G7 Summit when I received a call from President Trump, who kindly invited me to visit Washington. While I expressed my gratitude for his thoughtful invitation, I explained that I needed to return to the sacred land of Mahaprabhu. With due respect, I graciously declined his offer,' Modi said.
Modi made this disclosure in public for the first time after returning from his three-nation tour. The PM had a 35-minute phone call with the US President on Tuesday. During the conversation, Modi made it clear that India has never accepted -- and never will -- third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue. Trump had earlier taken credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

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