Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday stepped up his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, arguing that personal rapport and public gestures with foreign leaders cannot substitute for diplomacy driven by India’s national interest.
Addressing the ‘Rachnatmak Congress’ plenary session, Gandhi took a swipe at Modi’s widely noted hugs with foreign leaders, saying diplomacy could not be reduced to “hugging other leaders”. “Instead, Pakistan stepped in, leaving PM Modi wondering how it had happened,” he said. He said the “bravado” of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi had been “completely deflated”. BJP leaders said the reference to Meloni crossed the line of political criticism While Gandhi’s broader argument centred on whether personal gestures can be treated as a substitute for substantive diplomacy.
He argued that the Prime Minister’s focus should remain on advancing India’s interests rather than simply building personal relationships with foreign leaders. Gandhi also referred to the conflict involving Iran and claimed that India had missed an opportunity to play a mediating role. The Congress leader further claimed that he was receiving information from within the Prime Minister’s Office, without providing details to substantiate the allegation. Turning to China, Gandhi alleged that Beijing had prevented Indian patrols from accessing areas in Arunachal Pradesh. Gandhi’s criticism of Modi’s foreign policy has since triggered a political row, with the BJP accusing the Congress leader of turning a serious debate on diplomacy into personal jokes and innuendo. During the event, Gandhi mocked Modi’s public embraces with foreign leaders and staged a hug with Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to make his point. Dikshit then brought Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the exchange, prompting further criticism from the BJP.
