Expressing deep reverence towards Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that he was forced to decline an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit the land of Jagannath.
“Just two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 summit, and the US President Trump called me. He said since you have come to Canada, pay a visit to Washington, we will have dinner together and talk. He extended the invitation with great insistence. I thanked the US President for the invitation. I said it is more important for me to go to the land of Mahaprabhu (lord Jagannath), and so, I politely declined his invitation and your’s (people of Odisha) love and devotion to Mahaprabhu brought me to this land,” PM Modi said in a public meeting to mark the first anniversary of BJP government’s rule in Odisha.