New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on March 28, Saturday clarified its position after the New York Times reported that the Tesla CEO Elon Musk was present in the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. The MEA categorically stated that only PM Modi and the US President were on the call.
A statement by the MEA said, “We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on March 24 was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only. As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia”. Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on March 27, Friday(local time) said that US President Donald Trump shares a strong relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing a recent interaction between the two leaders as “productive”.
Responding to ANI’s query regarding a report by The New York Times, which suggested that Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the phone call between PM Modi and President Trump that took place on March 24, Tuesday, Leavitt said, “President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi and this was a productive conversation”. On March 27, Friday, the NYT reported that the Tesla CEO joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump that took place on March 24, Tuesday.
According to the NYT, Musk’s involvement in the call marks an unusual instance of a private citizen participating in a conversation between two Heads of State amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The NYT reported, citing two US officials, that Musk’s participation signals an apparent improvement in his relationship with Trump. The development comes after a fallout between Trump and Musk last summer, following the tech billionaire’s exit from a government role where he had been tasked with reducing the federal workforce through the US Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE). However, recent interactions suggest that ties between the billionaire and the US President have since stabilised, as reported by the NYT.
(With Inputs from ANI)
