Modi govt's idea of foreign policy means 'hugging politicians': Rahul Gandhi's new swipe

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his approach to foreign policy, alleging that the government had reduced diplomacy to personal equations and gestures such as hugging foreign leaders. Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in New Delhi, Gandhi mimicked Modi’s interactions with world leaders while arguing that foreign policy should be based on national interests rather than personal relationships.

Takes swipe at Modi

Gandhi said the Modi government's idea of foreign policy appeared to revolve around the Prime Minister's personal interactions with other heads of government. During his speech, the Congress leader hugged party colleague Sandeep Dikshit to demonstrate the point he was making about Modi's diplomatic style. Referring sarcastically to Modi's meetings with foreign leaders, Gandhi argued that a hug could not substitute for a coherent foreign policy. His remarks drew laughter from the audience. The Congress leader has repeatedly criticised the government's handling of India's external relations, accusing it of allowing personal diplomacy to overshadow institutional foreign-policy objectives.

‘Where is Chanakya?’

Gandhi also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking where the BJP's "Chanakya" had disappeared. The Congress leader used the reference to mock the political image built around Shah as a strategist and claimed that the BJP leadership was under increasing pressure. He also took aim at Modi personally, alleging that the Prime Minister was unable to sleep at night because of the political situation confronting the government. Gandhi's remarks were part of a wider attack on the BJP and RSS during his address to Congress workers.

Targets BJP-RSS

The Congress leader accused the BJP and RSS of failing to understand the country's diversity and the manner in which India functions. He argued that India's strength came from allowing different communities, languages, traditions and regions to express themselves rather than attempting to impose uniformity from the top. Gandhi said the Congress's political approach was based on creating space for people to express themselves and participate in shaping the country's future. He contrasted this with what he described as the centralised approach of the BJP-RSS. In particularly sharp remarks, Gandhi described the BJP-RSS leadership as a "bunch of jokers", claiming that they did not understand the nature of India.

Foreign policy under fire

Gandhi's latest attack comes amid continuing political sparring between the government and the Opposition over India's foreign policy. The Congress leader has previously accused the Modi government of weakening India's diplomatic position and has questioned its handling of relations with major global powers. On Thursday, he again sought to portray the government's foreign policy as overly dependent on Modi's personal relationships with international leaders rather than India's long-term strategic interests.

The government and BJP, however, have consistently defended Modi's diplomatic outreach, pointing to India's expanding strategic and economic partnerships and its engagement with countries across competing geopolitical blocs. Gandhi's remarks at the Congress convention were therefore as much an attack on Modi's political style as on the government's diplomatic record, with the Opposition leader using humour and mimicry to question the Prime Minister's emphasis on personal rapport with global leaders.