Opposition leader uses a mock embrace with Sandeep Dikshit to criticize Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy, triggering sharp condemnation from ruling party leaders over comments referencing Italian PM
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy on Thursday during the Rachnatmak Congress Organising National Convention in New Delhi, using a mock hug with party colleague Sandeep Dikshit to poke fun at the Prime Minister’s diplomatic style.
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy on Thursday during the Rachnatmak Congress Organising National Convention in New Delhi, using a mock hug with party colleague Sandeep Dikshit to poke fun at the Prime Minister’s diplomatic style.
Addressing the gathering, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha told attendees he would demonstrate what foreign policy meant to Prime Minister Modi. Stretching out his arms, Gandhi walked toward Dikshit and embraced him on stage.
“I don’t know where he got this idea from. Strange ideas get into people’s heads. He thinks this is foreign policy,” Gandhi remarked. Playing along with the gesture, Dikshit brought Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the exchange, asking: “You weren’t hugging me thinking I was Meloni?” to which Gandhi replied with laughter: “I haven’t reached that stage yet.”
The comments drew immediate backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar condemned the exchange on X, writing that “targeting Prime Ministers with such cheap language isn't politics. It is gutter-level behavior that brings shame to Indian political discourse.” BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also circulated video clips of the event, publicly questioning Gandhi's political conduct.
Following the on-stage exchange, Gandhi turned to substantive foreign policy and defense criticisms. He argued that India failed to leverage its strategic relationships during recent regional escalations in West Asia, claiming that Pakistan stepped in to mediate while India remained on the sidelines. Gandhi further alleged that Chinese forces continue to restrict Indian border patrols along strategic sectors in Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha told attendees he would demonstrate what foreign policy meant to Prime Minister Modi. Stretching out his arms, Gandhi walked toward Dikshit and embraced him on stage.
“I don’t know where he got this idea from. Strange ideas get into people’s heads. He thinks this is foreign policy,” Gandhi remarked. Playing along with the gesture, Dikshit brought Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the exchange, asking: “You weren’t hugging me thinking I was Meloni?” to which Gandhi replied with laughter: “I haven’t reached that stage yet.”
The comments drew immediate backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar condemned the exchange on X, writing that “targeting Prime Ministers with such cheap language isn't politics. It is gutter-level behavior that brings shame to Indian political discourse.” BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also circulated video clips of the event, publicly questioning Gandhi's political conduct.
Following the on-stage exchange, Gandhi turned to substantive foreign policy and defense criticisms. He argued that India failed to leverage its strategic relationships during recent regional escalations in West Asia, claiming that Pakistan stepped in to mediate while India remained on the sidelines. Gandhi further alleged that Chinese forces continue to restrict Indian border patrols along strategic sectors in Arunachal Pradesh.