New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday cited strong India-Italy ties and the need to maintain diplomatic protocol amid a growing furore over the comments made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on India’s foreign policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
MEA’s reaction came on the back of Rahul Gandhi taking a swipe at the country’s foreign policy during an event held in New Delhi on Thursday where he also mocked PM Modi’s public embraces with foreign leaders by staging a hug with Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.
Dikshit then brought Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the exchange, making remarks that critics have described as extremely “crude” and “inappropriate”.
“We have strong ties with Italy. Our ties with Italy in recent years have expanded and strengthened in every which way. And, it’s important that as part of diplomatic practice that we strengthen our ties, keeping in mind and being respectful to each other and there’s mutual understanding between the two sides,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a bi-weekly media briefing on Friday while responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi’s sarcastic jab.
Leaders from across the political spectrum have called the Congress leader’s actions abominable and in poor taste.
Critics stated that while the Opposition has every right to challenge the Union government’s diplomatic strategy, international relationships and personal diplomacy, the criticism should be built around facts, policy and outcomes and not theatrical gestures and innuendo.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying his remarks made him appear “less like the Leader of the Opposition and more like a failed stand-up comedian”.
She accused the LoP of resorting to “locker-room talk and cheap innuendos” and said that the country deserves a Leader of the Opposition who treats the office with greater dignity.
Another BJP leader, Shehzad Poonawalla, questioned how low political debate could go, saying that disagreement with PM Modi is entirely legitimate but dragging a woman foreign leader into what he characterised as a crude joke was neither wit nor statesmanship.
Analysts reckoned that the irony is that the event was called “Rachnatmak Congress” — suggesting constructive politics.
“Constructive opposition should mean holding the government accountable on unemployment, the economy, national security, diplomacy and governance. Rahul Gandhi has the constitutional platform to do precisely that,” they remarked.
