"Vishwaguru will himself attend in person": Jairam Ramesh's indirect swipe at PM Modi as US denies attending G20 summit

New Delhi [India], November 8 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday took an indirect swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "self-styled Vishwaguru will himself attend in person," after the US announced a boycott of the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa. 

"Now that President Trump has announced that he will not be attending the G20 Summit in South Africa a few days hence on Nov 22-23, we can be certain that the self-styled Vishwaguru will himself attend in person," Jairam Ramesh wrote on 'X'.

Earlier, Ramesh had jibed at PM Modi for not attending the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, saying he's avoiding being "cornered" by US President Donald Trump. 

The G20 summit is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22-23, 2025. US President Donald Trump has announced that no US government officials, including the Vice President, will attend the meeting, citing alleged human rights abuses against white farmers (Afrikaners) in South Africa.

"Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated," Trump said in a Truth Social post.    

"No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue," the post also reads. "I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!"

In May, the White House instructed federal agencies to halt work in preparation for the G20 summit, scheduled for November 22-23. Trump indicated at the time that the US would not participate, The Hill reported.    

The G20, also known as the Group of 20, is an international forum which brings together the world's major economies to discuss and coordinate global economic policy and other key international issues.

The G20 includes 19 countries plus the European Union (EU). 

The countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU. (ANI)