Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a public address in Bhubaneswar, disclosed that he had declined a dinner invitation from US President Donald Trump in order to prioritize a visit to Odisha. Modi stated that while attending the G7 Summit in Canada just days earlier, President Trump called him and personally invited him to Washington for a dinner and conversation. Despite the insistence, Modi turned down the invitation, citing his devotion to Lord Jagannath and his commitment to visiting the sacred land of Odisha. “Your love and devotion to Mahaprabhu brought me to this land,” he told the gathered crowd.
During the same event, which marked the first anniversary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha, Modi also took a sharp dig at the Congress party. He accused Congress of decades-long neglect toward tribal communities, alleging that previous regimes deliberately kept tribal-dominated regions underdeveloped and branded them as the “red corridor” for political convenience. According to Modi, over 125 tribal districts suffered from Maoist violence due to this neglect, and were labeled backward by the then ruling governments.
The Prime Minister praised the current BJP government in Odisha for what he called a year of good governance focused on public service and trust. Highlighting achievements, Modi pointed to the reopening of the four gates of the Jagannath temple and the temple’s treasury (‘Ratna Bhandar’), which he described as fulfilling long-standing public demands. He contrasted this progress with the alleged corruption and lack of infrastructure development under previous administrations.
Overall, the speech served both as a reaffirmation of cultural and spiritual values and a political commentary positioning the BJP as a force of transformation and responsible governance in Odisha and across the nation.
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