Hugging world leaders is not foreign policy: Rahul attacks Modi

NEW DELHI, Aug 14: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday stepped up his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, arguing that personal rapport and public gestures with foreign leaders cannot substitute for diplomacy driven by India’s national interest.
Addressing the ‘Rachnatmak Congress’ plenary session, Gandhi took a swipe at Modi’s widely noted hugs with foreign leaders, saying diplomacy could not be reduced to “hugging other leaders”. He argued that the Prime Minister’s focus should remain on advancing India’s interests rather than simply building personal relationships with foreign leaders.
Gandhi also referred to the conflict involving Iran and claimed that India had missed an opportunity to play a mediating role. “Instead, Pakistan stepped in, leaving PM Modi wondering how it had happened,” he said.
The Congress leader further claimed that he was receiving information from within the Prime Minister’s Office, without providing details to substantiate the allegation.
Turning to China, Gandhi alleged that Beijing had prevented Indian patrols from accessing areas in Arunachal Pradesh. He said the “bravado” of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi had been “completely deflated”.
He also accused the Union government of contacting newspapers and media organisations to stop the issue from being reported.�" Z NEWS