Did Centre approve BJP MP's Trump meet? Priyank Kharge flags protocol breach; demands MEA response on alleged Mar-a-Lago visit

NEW DELHI: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge has flagged a news report alleging that a young BJP MP, while on an official parliamentary visit to the US, independently arranged a meeting with US President Donald Trump, bypassing diplomatic channels and allegedly embarrassing the Indian delegation.

“This is not some idle political gossip. It is a serious insult to India’s institutional integrity and diplomatic standing,” Priyank Kharge posted on X, demanding answers from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) on whether it was informed about the meeting.



Delegation led by Tharoor, but BJP MP allegedly went solo
The visit was part of India’s post-Operation Sindoor outreach and was led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The cross-party delegation included BJP MPs Tejaswi Surya, Shashank Mani Tripathi, and Bhubaneswar Kalita, as well as Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Sarfaraz Ahmed (JMM), and others.

According to the report shared by Priyank Kharge , the controversy began after Milind Deora, known to have ties with several business families, met Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Upset by this, the unnamed BJP MP reportedly sought a similar engagement and, failing that, arranged his own meeting with Trump via a personal US-based contact.

Embarrassment at Mar-a-Lago? Trump allegedly unimpressed
As per the report, the MP allegedly travelled to Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, where he was introduced as a “close associate of the Indian head of state.” Trump, reportedly unimpressed, made blunt remarks during the interaction, leaving the MP embarrassed.

The MP, who returned to India without disclosing the details of the meeting, was later pulled up by the BJP leadership and let off with a warning, the report claims.

Priyank Kharge slams Centre’s ‘double standards’
Priyank Kharge has questioned why BJP MPs are allowed to bypass protocol while state ministers face hurdles. He cited his own experience from January this year, when he was initially denied MEA clearance to attend a biotech convention in Boston, only to be granted approval after raising the issue publicly.

“When part of an official delegation, what justified this impulsive and immature conduct? Who is this young BJP MP and what action has the government taken to address this breach of decorum?” Priyank Kharge asked.

Select The Times of India as your preferred source on Google Search