A major controversy has erupted over claims by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor that India specifically requested the American side not to allow media questions during the joint press briefing between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in France earlier this year.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Saturday, Gor claimed that President Trump had initially agreed to the request but later appeared to forget it and invited questions from the media. This resulted in a 45-minute press interaction on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France in June.

The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump took place on June 17 in Evian-les-Bains, France, on the margins of the G7 Summit. A joint press briefing followed.

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Recalling a conversation with Trump before the meeting, Gor said, "We were behind the scenes, behind the stage, and at one point it was just the president and I, and he asked me, he goes, what the Indians are going to raise. We went over some topics."

Let’s not do a full press conference: Gor claims

"And he said, do they have any asks? And the MEA had one ask. He said, and it was, let’s bring in the media, but let’s not do a full press conference," the ambassador added.

Gor said he conveyed India’s preference directly to Trump, "I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem."

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The meeting began with journalists and cameras present. Gor noted that around 50 cameras were in the room as the two leaders sat across from each other and delivered their opening remarks. "So the meeting starts, the press comes in, there must have been 50 cameras, the president is sitting here, the prime minister is sitting there, they both speak for a few minutes,” he said.

Any questions? Trump after joint press meet

Immediately after the opening remarks, however, Trump turned to the cameras and asked reporters, "Any questions?"

Gor said this single question opened up the entire interaction. "And that opened everything up," he stated, adding that what followed was "a 45-minute press conference" in which "everything was on the table."

"Unusual behviour" of Trump cited for India's request

India Today, citing government sources, reported that the discussions on such arrangements for high-level meetings are routine and that the Indian side was simply following standard procedure.

The report added that the Indian side was merely communicating the standard protocol followed by New Delhi for any VVIP visit. Later, NDTV, citing its sources in the government, reported that the officials asked the American side as a "precautionary" measure amid unusual behaviour of President Trump. Any official clarification from the Ministry of External Affairs is still awaited. However, it is interesting to note that President had records of holding explosive press conference with world leaders in White House.

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