Now Reading: Mani Shankar Aiyar slams BJP on Pakistan talks, foreign policy
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Mani Shankar Aiyar slams BJP on Pakistan talks, foreign policy
Former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on 4 October criticised the BJP-led government for refusing to hold talks with Pakistan, saying it has ‘courage’ to launch surgical strikes but not to sit across the table. Speaking at the 5th Halla Bolle Conclave in Srinagar, the Congress veteran proposed holding talks at the Attari-Wagah border and said arguing about past issues is not foreign policy.
Aiyar also said India had never been as isolated as it is now, alleging the government’s foreign policy has lost its morality and sense of direction. He claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks ‘the more times he is hugged by Donald Trump, the greater is India’s strength’, and that the country’s strategic autonomy is an illusion.
He called for India to make peace with Pakistan and resolve boundary issues with China, adding that the only way to reach constructive conclusions is through continued dialogue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Economic Times focused on Aiyar’s call for India-Pakistan dialogue and his criticism of the government’s refusal to talk, while Deccan Herald led with his broader charge that India is ‘isolated’ and its foreign policy has lost morality. Both carry the same core speech from the same event, but Deccan Herald gave more space to his attacks on the Modi government’s direction and his remarks on Israel and Iran. Aiyar’s statements are uniformly critical, no source reported a counterview. The coverage is consistent in reporting the same opposition figure’s critique, with Deccan Herald amplifying the most sweeping charges of isolation and moral failure.
Aiyar proposed no next step beyond continued dialogue.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 government-critical
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com (government critical), deccanherald.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
