PM’s foreign policy a ‘universal joke’, says Rahul; Kharge seeks answers on energy crisis

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of foreign policy, calling it a “personal” approach that has turned into a “universal joke”, even as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government over India’s strategic autonomy, stranded ships and the deepening energy crisis. The criticism came after the Prime Minister addressed Parliament on the West Asia situation and the government convened an all-party meeting to discuss the evolving crisis and its implications for India. Addressing reporters at Parliament House, Gandhi alleged that India’s foreign policy has been reduced to the Prime Minister’s personal domain. “This is Prime Minister Modi’s personal foreign policy… It’s a universal joke. Everybody considers that a universal joke,” he said, adding that global leaders, including Donald Trump, “know exactly what Mr. Modi can do or what Mr. Modi cannot do”. He claimed that if the Prime Minister is “compromised”, India’s foreign policy is also compromised. “He made an irrelevant speech yesterday. He is the Prime Minister. What is the position? There is no position at all… The sad part is that people will suffer because of this; this is just the beginning,” Gandhi said, warning of problems in LPG, petrol and fertilisers amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.