Scepticism has begun to grow over a German newspaper’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “avoided” four calls from US President Donald Trump in recent weeks.
“The idea that PM Modi actively ducked calls (despite multiple attempts) from Trump is based on a single foreign report (FAZ) and is not corroborated by Indian sources or additional media outlets,” former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao wrote on X on Wednesday, a day after the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) report caused a stir in India.
“I am skeptical of international reports that aren’t backed by multiple sources—especially when they concern nuanced diplomatic dynamics. My take: I’d take this report with a good dollop of Himalayan salt even if the Trump-Modi bromance has hit a wall,” Rao wrote.
“There are signs indicating that Modi felt insulted,” the FAZ claimed, adding that Modi’s refusal to speak to Trump demonstrates the depth of his irritation and his caution as India faces 50 per cent tariff on exports to the US because of Russian crude oil purchases and the US President repeatedly claims he stopped the India-Pakistan war.
The FAZ report has not been officially denied by either Washington or Delhi, but a number of source-based stories in newspapers seemed to indicate that it does not fit “Modi’s style”.
The 76-year-old FAZ is a very respectable newspaper but the European media – .French or German – are not very questioning, said a veteran diplomatic observer.
"This story was probably fed to the German paper," the observer said. "Increasingly, the Indian government is 'using' foreign media to give out its point of view. Like the CDS [Chief of Defence Staff] interview to Bloomberg that first admitted – without details – losses India suffered during Operation Sindoor.”
The FAZ report, meanwhile, is being brandished by trolls and spin masters on both sides – to lionise the prime minister or ridicule Modi, depending on affiliation.
The comedian Ramesh Srivats quipped on X: “Whenever Trump calls, Modi should set an auto-reply: "Hi, this is Narendra Modi. I can't take your call right now as I'm on a road trip with Xi Jinping and Putin. Please leave a message after the beep."”
