A startling revelation has come forward stating that over Rs 15.54 crore of taxpayers’ money was spent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Saudi Arabia in April this year.

This was revealed by the Consulate General of India in Jeddah in response to an RTI (Right to Information) reply filed by activist Ajay Basudev Bose from Maharashtra.

Sharing the details in his X post, the activist said it was shocking for the Central government to spend over Rs 10 crore on hotel bookings alone. “What the Consulate has provided shows that the government spent an unusually high amount on just a few hours in Jeddah,” Bose told reporters.

According to protocols, the host country is responsible for arranging accommodations during the visit of a high-ranking government official, in this case, the Prime Minister of India. The RTI reply clearly shows that no such arrangement was made. Critics wonder why the Government of India spent so much money on state visits.

PM Modi was scheduled to visit Jeddah between April 22 and 23. However, the trip was cut short after the tragic Pahalgam terrorist attack unfolded. Modi returned to India within 12 hours, skipping the official state dinner.

Modi’s other foreign trips include a four-day trip to France in February at Rs 25.59 crore, one-day trip to the United States at Rs 16.54 crore, another one-day trip to Thailand at Rs 4.92 crore.

However, Modi’s Saudi Arabia trip of less than 12 hours was recorded as the most expensive of all.

Historical records of Modi’s predecessor, the late Manmohan Singh, reveal that his 2011 trip to the United States cost Rs 10.74 crore, and his 2013 trip to Russia was Rs 9.95 crore; far less than the current PM.

The Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office have yet to issue an official comment.