US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Sunil Kudyadi, the Taj Hotel security chief who was present during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, during his two-day visit to India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arranged the meeting, bringing a first-hand account of the 2008 attacks into the discussions during Rubio’s visit. The meeting came as Rubio engaged with Indian officials on the US-India strategic partnership. His itinerary also included a visit to Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat to discuss expanding energy cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, Rubio also addressed questions about protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations drew attention after UN experts raised concerns about the handling of the protests and the alleged crackdown on demonstrators. Responding to the criticism, Rubio called the term “UN experts” an “oxymoron”. He also described the anti-CEC protests as a domestic political matter, placing them within India’s internal political affairs. The remarks came alongside discussions on India-US relations, while Jaishankar’s meeting with Kudyadi brought the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks into focus. Kudyadi was present at the Taj Hotel during the attacks on 26 November 2008. Rubio’s visit included both diplomatic engagement and discussions on energy cooperation, with the meeting involving Kudyadi recalling the Mumbai attacks and his comments on the protests addressing questions about India’s domestic affairs.