Congress takes on Modi; to raise issues in Parliament

New Delhi, June 27: Trouble is brewing for government in the Monsoon session of Parliament, which is expected to start next month, with main opposition Congress on Monday hinting at stacking up ammunition on issues like failure at NSG, terror strikes and diatribes of Subramanian Swamy.

"Parliament will have an interesting session this time," party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a host of issues, especially India's failure at the NSG meet, he said that the Prime Minister should realise that "diplomacy is not a sound and light show".

"Our Prime Minister has no knowledge of diplomacy. It is not a Sound & Light show. "Foreign policy is done with a sense of maturity. Diplomacy is conducted in very silent, sober manner. But, we see none of that," Sibal said, remarking that the "Prime Minister likes to be on TV".

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister over his remarks on the NSG issue, he wondered as to what was the point of saying Mexico and Switzerland were on India's side? "We love Modiji, but we love India more.

Do not lower its image in the international community by light and sound shows," he said, reminding the Prime Minister that the 123 agreement with the US was achieved by India during the UPA rule "without pomp and show".

He said that senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who was the External Affairs Minister in the NDA-1 Government, had wondered as to why India was pushing for an entry into the NSG when it has got the waiver way back in 2008.

Raising the issue of terror strikes, he alleged that "the product of Modi Government's foreign policy is Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Pampore. That's the reality on the ground".

Referring to Modi's surprise Lahore visit, he said that the Prime Minister during the UPA tenure never went to Pakistan to celebrate weddings and birthdays.

In fact, the Prime Minister in the UPA era made it clear that while India wanted talks, normalisation of ties with Pakistan was not possible till it cooperated in bringing to book those involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, he said.

Claiming that 50 terrorists have crossed the Pakistan border in past five months, he said that they have continued attacking Indian soldiers. "We want to ask the Prime Minister till when are we supposed to suffer these attacks?".

Sibal also attacked the RSS for plans to hold Iftar parties. "While our security forces are getting martyred, RSS is busy holding Iftar parties for Pakistani diplomats," he said recalling the way Modi used to target the UPA on the issue.

Replying to a question on BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, Sibal wondered as to what is the use of the Prime Minister now disapproving Swamy's attacks when RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has already said no to a second term.

PTI