Now Reading: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for ‘indecent’ hug jibe at PM Modi’s foreign policy
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BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for ‘indecent’ hug jibe at PM Modi’s foreign policy
BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for ‘indecent’ hug jibe at PM Modi’s foreign policy
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic style 'shameful' and 'indecent', saying they insulted India's international prestige. Gandhi, at a Congress convention on…
The Story in Brief
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic style 'shameful' and 'indecent', saying they insulted India's international prestige. Gandhi, at a Congress convention on Thursday, hugged party colleague Sandeep Dikshit on stage while mocking Modi's habit of hugging foreign leaders, and retorted to Dikshit's joke about Italian PM Giorgia Meloni with 'I have not reached there yet.'
BJP leaders including Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Gandhi of crossing 'every line of decency' and trying to sabotage foreign relations. The External Affairs Ministry said any point should be expressed respectfully. Congress defended Gandhi, insisting he did not name Meloni and was only criticising Modi's style. The row is expected to intensify.
The Indian Opinion
The BJP's outrage is predictable, but both sides are playing to their galleries. Gandhi's line about not having 'reached' Meloni was gratuitous and gave his critics a weapon. Yet the government's claim that hug-based diplomacy is beyond scrutiny is also disingenuous. India's foreign policy record deserves substantive debate, not stagecraft on either side. The real test: will either party discuss India's actual trade and security outcomes with Italy, rather than trade accusations about a hug?
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
