Now Reading: MEA urges respect after Rahul Gandhi’s Meloni jibe
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MEA urges respect after Rahul Gandhi’s Meloni jibe
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said India’s ties with Italy have “expanded and strengthened in every way” and stressed the need for mutual respect in public discourse. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s…
The Story in Brief
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said India’s ties with Italy have “expanded and strengthened in every way” and stressed the need for mutual respect in public discourse. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s remarks came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “hug diplomacy” at an event and fellow Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit made a jibe about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Gandhi said Modi’s foreign policy was only about hugging leaders, and Dikshit asked if Gandhi had mistaken him for Meloni. The BJP criticised the comments, with Amit Malviya calling them “far more disturbing” and Nishikant Dubey sharing a picture of Indira Gandhi hugging foreign leaders.
The Indian Opinion
Political satire has a place in democracy, but dragging a foreign leader into domestic sparring is clumsy. The BJP is right to question the Congress’s judgment, yet its own history of personal attacks makes the outrage selective. The MEA’s call for mutual respect is sensible. The real test will be whether Italy’s government issues any reaction, if it stays silent, this storm is purely domestic noise.
Sources (4): news.abplive.com, indiatvnews.com, english.mathrubhumi.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
