Priyank Kharge questions ‘immature approach' of ‘young BJP MP' who ‘broke protocol' to meet Trump
Citing a 'news report', Priyank Kharge, Karnataka minister for Information Technology/Biotechnology, posted on X: 'If this news report of the BJP MP's immature approach is accurate, it is nothing short of disgraceful. Serious questions must be answered.' Priyank Kharge posted a series of questions: 'How did a sitting MP bypass all established diplomatic protocols to meet a former head of state? Was the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed or consulted at any stage? 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?'
Bengaluru: Adding grist to the rumour mill about a Bharatiya Janata Party MP breaking protocol to meet US president Donald Trump during a parliamentary delegation's visit, the Congress on Monday called it an 'insult to India's institutional integrity and diplomatic standing'. The purported meeting had taken place during the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation's visit to the US as part of India's outreach to foreign countries after Operation Sindoor.
Apart from Tharoor, the delegation to the US included three BJP MPs—Bhubaneswar Kalita (Rajya Sabha member from Assam), Shashank Mani Tripathi (Deoria MP) and Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South MP)—among others. As Kalita is 74 years old, the Congress leader's X post seemed to point a finger at either Tripathi (55) or Surya (34). ThePrint has reached out to Tharoor and Surya, too, for comment. This report will be updated if and when they reply.
The U.S. visit was one of the stops in the long list of countries the delegation visited which included Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil.
'It's deeply ironic, while the Centre routinely denies permission to state-led investment delegations with no explanation, BJP MPs seem to have the liberty to flout protocol for photo-ops,' Priyank Kharge wrote.
If this news report of the BJP MP's immature approach is accurate, it is nothing short of disgraceful.
Serious questions must be answered:
•How did a sitting MP bypass all established diplomatic protocols to meet a former head of state?
•Was the Ministry of External Affairs… pic.twitter.com/eOwJ6NAeTW
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) July 7, 2025
He posted a picture of the delegation in the USA as well as a news article from the Parliamentarian, a portal. It reported that the 'young MP' was irked by the fact that a fellow delegation member, Milind Deora, had a 'pre-scheduled' meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the US President's sons. After failing to arrange a similar meeting, the MP claimed he would meet the American president himself which was later arranged by an old US-based friend of the Indian parliamentarian.
The MP then travelled to Mar-a-Lago, the Trump family estate in Florida. There, the report added, the MP was introduced to Trump as a 'close associate of the Indian head of state' but the meeting did not go as expected. The report stated that Trump's 'bluntness' turned the meeting sour.
The news of the young MPs' ambitious efforts travelled back to India where he was pulled up for his actions, the report added.
But there is still no word on who this MP is.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Hours after son Priyank threatens ban, RSS shares visuals of Mallikarjun Kharge at 2002 Sangh event
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