India dismisses report of Musk joining Modi-Trump call; says it was between 2 leaders only
New Delhi (PTI): India on Saturday rejected a media report that said billionaire Elon Musk joined a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump earlier this week.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Tuesday's conversation was between the two leaders only.
The New York Times, quoting unnamed US officials, reported that Musk participated in the call between Trump and Modi, adding it was an "unusual appearance" by a private citizen on a call between two heads of state.
"We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on March 24 was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only," Jaiswal said.
"As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia," he said.
In its report, the New York Times said it is "unclear" why Musk was on the call or whether he spoke.
Our prime minister only spoke to Trump and there was no one else who spoke to the PM, people familiar with the matter said.
They suggested that it is for Washington to clarify if somebody else was in the room or listening to the conversation.
The New York Times said Musk's participation in the phone call signalled a reconciliation between the billionaire and Trump.
The two had fallen out last year following Musk's exit from a government task force charged with slashing the federal workforce.
The US president had initiated the phone call with Modi to discuss the West Asia crisis.
It was the first conversation between the two leaders since the West Asia conflict began on February 28.
In the conversation, Modi underlined the importance of ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible, noting that it is vital for global peace, stability and economic well-being.
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Six-year-old girl found murdered in Eucalyptus grove near Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): The body of a six-year-old girl was found on Saturday in a eucalyptus grove on the outskirts of the city, police said.
The girl, the daughter of a migrant worker from Assam, is believed to have been abducted and strangled before her body was dumped at the isolated spot, a senior police officer said.
Police have not ruled out the possibility of sexual assault, which will be confirmed through a post-mortem examination.
According to authorities, the girl went missing on Thursday evening while playing near her home. Her family lodged a missing person complaint on Friday after they were unable to locate her.
Later that night, during a search operation, her body was recovered from the eucalyptus grove near Electronic City.
The motive behind the crime is not yet known. Police said all angles, including personal enmity, are being investigated.
A case has been registered, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the accused, the officer added.
