Cong tears into PM's foreign policy

New Delhi, May 18: The Congress today tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of foreign policy, saying he has been an "embarrassment" to India and told him sarcastically that international relations are not about being "feted" by world leaders.

The Congress also cited some developments in the neighbourhood to buttress its assessment while seeking to project that the Prime Minister, whose government completes two years next week, has been an "embarrassment" to the country in the field of foreign affairs.

"Under the watchful eyes of Narendra Modi, USA agreed to sell F-16s to Pakistan; India's old friend, Russia lifted its weapons embargo on Pakistan, and China is stifling us in our own neighbourhood," the Congress said.

In a hard hitting commentary titled " 'Foreign Minister' Narendra Modi has been an embarrassment for India", the AICC faulted the Prime Minister on several counts. "Modi, disregarded the innate wisdom of our foreign policy, which has resulted in India being further isolated in South Asia.

India's flip-flops on Pakistan have confused security experts from across the world." it said in the commentary posted on the party's website. It contended that developments including Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan, the Pathankot attack, and then the invitation extended to the Pakistani JIT, which included the ISI, to visit India's sensitive air-force base, has "defied all logic".

"And the Modi Government's statements almost seem to be at pains to exonerate the Pakistani establishment rather than corner it", it said. Last year, Modi became the first PM of India to humiliate his own country on foreign soil by making the embarrassing claim that "being born Indian was earlier considered to be a curse", it said.

"The nation that Modi most wanted approval from was USA, the country which denied him a visa in the aftermath of the 2002 riots," it said adding that the USA has been busy blocking India at the WTO. The ruling in February has hurt India's National Solar Mission.

"Modi must realise that international relations are not about being feted by world leaders, but about ensuring that your own country's interests & the interests of the common man, back home, are not hurt", he added.

PTI