"Bachke rehna re": Jairam Ramesh's jibe after PM Modi confirms attending ASEAN summit virtually

New Delhi [India], October 23 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not travelling to Kuala Lumpur, saying that the latter was not going for the 47th Asean Summit as he doesn't want to be "cornered" by US President Donald Trump.
"The PM may well be recalling that old hit Bollywood number: Bachke rehna re baba, bachke rehna re," Ramesh, General Secretary incharge of Communication in Congress, posted on X.
"For days the speculation has been - will He or won't He? Will Modi go to Kuala Lumpur for the Summit or not? Now it appears certain that the PM will not go. It means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or to flaunt himself as the self-styled Vishwaguru," he added.
Ramesh argued that PM Modi also refused an invitation to attend Gaza peace summit held on October 13 in Egypt "precisely for this reason."
"The reason why Modi is not going is simple. He just doesn't want to be cornered by President Trump who will also be there. He refused an invitation to attend the Gaza peace summit in Egypt a few weeks back, precisely for this reason," the Congress MP said.
He further stated that it has become "too risky" for PM Modi to socialise with Donald Trump publicly, especially after repeated claims made by the US President regarding "stopping Operation Sindoor" and "India agreeing to stop oil purchase from Russia".
"Posting messages in praise of President Trump on social media is one thing. But to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Op Sindoor and has claimed 5 times that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia is another matter. It's far too risky for him," Ramesh said.
His remarks come after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday confirmed that PM Modi would not be travelling to Kuala Lumpur for the 47th Asean Summit, but would attend it virtually.
"We touched on the organisation of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month. He informed me that he will attend virtually due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India at that time," he said.
"I respect his decision and extended my greetings for a happy Deepavali to him and the entire people of India," he added.
Detailing his recent conversation with a colleague of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ibrahim highlighted efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

"Last night, I received a phone call from a colleague of the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Narendra Modi, to discuss efforts to strengthen Malaysia-India bilateral relations to a more strategic and comprehensive level. India remains an important partner for Malaysia in the fields of trade and investment, in addition to close cooperation in the sectors of technology, education, and regional security," Anwar said.
He concluded by reaffirming Malaysia's commitment to bilateral and regional cooperation. "Malaysia will remain committed to strengthening Malaysia-India relations and further enhancing ASEAN-India cooperation towards a more peaceful and prosperous region," he said.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) announced his upcoming diplomatic trip to Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, highlighting a significant meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. (ANI)