New Delhi: Four different readouts of the two calls between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Presidents of Russia and the US, have led to a controversy with questions being raised over what was discussed.
On Monday, Modi spoke with US President Joseph R. Biden Jr., where according to a statement published by the Indian Ministry External Affairs (MEA), the two discussed safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, amongst other issues including the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Ukraine last week.
“The two leaders expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh. They emphasised restoration of law and order and ensuring safety and security of the minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh,” said the readout issued by the MEA.
The readout issued by the White House, however, makes no mention of the discussions on Bangladesh, and instead highlights that Biden commended Modi for the latter’s “historic” visits to Poland and Ukraine.
The differences in the two readouts were raised by Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress party’s media department in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“If our Prime Minister did raise the issue of ‘safety and security of the minorities, particularly Hindus’ in Bangladesh, why did @JoeBiden not think it was important enough to mention in his press note?” wrote Khera.
If our Prime Minister did raise the issue of ‘safety and security of the minorities, particularly Hindus’ in Bangladesh, why did @JoeBiden not think it was important enough to mention in his press note? https://t.co/xiIZRkLySx
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) August 27, 2024
Kanchan Gupta, a senior advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting clarified on X, that the readouts published by the different governments may not reflect “all issues discussed”.
“It is only when there is a Joint Press Release or Joint Statement that both sides issue similar press releases. In all such cases where separate press releases are issued, focus is to highlight issues of interest to the particular country,” Gupta wrote.
Congress media head @Pawankhera 's comments regarding Government of India's press release on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tele-conversation with President Biden on Monday are completely misplaced.
It's reiterated that all issues mentioned in the GoI press release, including… https://t.co/DW7xU9o8aY
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) August 27, 2024
Speaking to ThePrint, Avtar Singh Bhasin, former head of the historical division at the Ministry of External Affairs, explained that it is not unusual for statements published by two governments to have differences, especially as “each country has its own views” on issues discussed.
“Each country has its own important issue. For India, Bangladesh is extremely important, they are our neighbours and therefore will be raised and mentioned when such conversations occur. For the US, Bangladesh is not an important issue, therefore [they] may prefer to not mention it in its readout,” said Bhasin.
He added: “What is convenient for a country is shared in the readout, while what is seen as inconvenient is left out.”
A day after his call with Biden, Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, where once again the two readouts published by the respective sides differed on what was discussed between the two leaders.
The MEA said that the two leaders discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Modi sharing his “insights from his recent visit to Ukraine”.
On the other hand, the Kremlin’s readout said Putin shared “his principled assessment of the destructive policies of the Kiev authorities and their Western patrons, and went on to highlight Russia’s approaches to resolving this conflict”.
The main difference seen between Kremlin’s and New Delhi’s readouts of the conversation is that the former’s pointed out that the Indian Prime Minister “reaffirmed his readiness to take part in the October 2024 Kazan Summit, to be held as a part of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship”.
Also Read: Modi’s visit marks rare Ukraine trip by Putin friend, but Zelenskyy had a ‘curt’ message for India
Differences in past readouts
Such differences in the final readouts published by governments is not new or an exception. A look at past readouts of conversations or meetings between Indian delegations with the US, Russia or China indicates how countries often share information particularly relevant to their interests.
Vijay K. Nambiar, India’s former deputy national security advisor and former permanent representative to the United Nations explained to ThePrint that sometimes that during “such conversations”, “importance” given to issues discussed could be perceived differently by the two sides.
“The kind of importance one gives to an issue may not be the same as what is perceived by the other leader and what they think on the issue. These differences are genuinely there and are interpreted in a slightly different manner when reported in the readouts,” said Nambiar.
On 24 February 2022—the day Putin announced Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine—the two leaders had a telephone conversation. Differences were spotted at the time in the readouts subsequently published by the respective sides.
The MEA’s readout said, “Prime Minister reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue. Prime Minister appealed for an immediate cessation of violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.”
In the Kremlin’s retelling of the conversation, Modi was “appreciative” of Putin’s explanation for launching the operation. No mention was made of the Indian Prime Minister’s appeal for cessation of violence or call for a diplomatic negotiation to find a solution to the situation in Eastern Europe.
Such differences are also seen with readouts published by the White House and the MEA of conversations between the leaders of India and the US.
On 14 February 2023, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi held a telephone conversation, after the announcement of Air India’s record purchase of 470 aircraft from Boeing (US) and Airbus (European Union).
The MEA highlighted that both leaders discussed the “deepening” of India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, while the White House limited the conversation to “strategic technology partnership” in its readout.
Another difference in the readouts are on the groupings both countries are a part of. The US mentions Quad, while India highlights the discussion on India’s G20 presidency—both of which are not mentioned in the other’s statements.
Such differences are also seen in official statements on issues discussed at meetings between Indian delegations with international delegations.
On 25 July 2024, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.
According to the MEA, Jaishankar reiterated that “peace and tranquillity” on the borders and “respect” for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is “essential” for a return to normalcy in bilateral ties. He also stressed the importance of “three mutuals”: respect, interest and sensitivity.
None of this found mention in the Chinese readout of the meeting between the two foreign ministers. According to Beijing, Jaishankar said “the Indian side is ready to take a historic, strategic and open perspective to find solutions to the differences and get the bilateral relations back to a positive and constructive track”.
The MEA also announced that an “early meeting” of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), would be held—a decision that was not mentioned in the readout provided by the Chinese foreign ministry.
Nambiar told ThePrint that in these conversations, the “attitudinal perception” of what is discussed and how it is conveyed may differ, which then leads to the difference in readouts.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)