Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday targeted the Centre over what he called a pattern of the United States announcing key foreign policy developments involving India before New Delhi itself, citing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent remarks on a proposed visit by Venezuela’s leadership.
“At 5:37 PM on May 10, 2025, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to announce the halt to Operation Sindoor,” Ramesh said in a post on X, referring to the military operation launched earlier this year. “Yesterday, Mr. Rubio was again the very first to announce that the President of Venezuela would be visiting India next week. This was even before India and Venezuela had even hinted or confirmed the news,” he wrote.
Rubio had indicated that Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez would travel to India while discussing energy ties between Washington and New Delhi. The announcement came ahead of any formal statement from either the Ministry of External Affairs or Caracas.
Ramesh said the Venezuelan leader had been expected to attend the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance in New Delhi, a conservation initiative launched by India in 2023 to protect seven major big cat species globally. He added that the event had now been postponed because of a fresh Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. “What else does the US Secretary of State have in store for Indian foreign policy?” Ramesh asked.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the African Union have since confirmed that both the International Big Cat Alliance summit and the India-Africa Forum Summit have been deferred following health concerns. The meetings would be rescheduled after consultations on the evolving situation, officials said.
Ramesh’s comments revived the Opposition’s criticism of the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor and the subsequent ceasefire announcement in May. Congress leaders have repeatedly questioned why the first public indication of a halt in hostilities came from Washington rather than New Delhi, arguing it raised concerns about India’s diplomatic communication.
The BJP has previously dismissed such criticism, maintaining that India’s foreign policy decisions are taken independently and that coordination with partners like the US is routine. The MEA has not commented on Rubio’s latest remarks or on the timing of announcements related to the Venezuelan visit.