The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated its strong ties with Italy and urged all sides to be "respectful" amid a controversy involving a Congress leader's alleged objectionable remarks targetting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Reacting to the remarks, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "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, we strengthen our ties, keeping in mind and being respectful of each other. There’s mutual understanding between the two sides."
The MEA's response comes a day after Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi referred to the BJP-RSS as a "bunch of jokers" who have no understanding of India and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of foreign policy, which he claimed was all about hugging leaders.
Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention on Thursday, he also said it has somehow been ingrained in Modi's mind that foreign policy is about hugging leaders.
Gandhi then hugged Rachnatmak Congress chief Sandeep Dikshit in a bid to demonstrate what he said the current government's foreign policy was about. "Imagine the ignorance... where did he get the idea that foreign policy was about hugging leaders?" he said.
Dikshit then asked Gandhi, "Ek cheez pooch sakta hoon? Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha? (You weren't hugging me thinking I was Meloni)"
Gandhi responded by saying, "I have not reached there yet."
Emphasising that diplomatic visits are more than friendly meetings, Rahul had said, "You aren't just visiting a friend's house. In this role, the Prime Minister of India doesn't engage in mere friendship. They have no interest in friendship; their job is to protect the country."
"I don't know where it came from; this idea got into their heads. I don't know who put it there or where it came from, the idea that foreign policy means hugging politicians," he said.