NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma’s praise for the BJP-led Centre’s handling of the West Asia crisis drew a restrained response from his party on Friday, with Jairam Ramesh asserting that the Congress remains a democratic platform where diverse views can be expressed. Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sparked a political row after he said that India’s silence on the West Asia war is a responsible statecraft, not moral surrender.
On Thursday, Sharma hailed India’s diplomatic handling of the West Asia crisis as “mature and skilful”, saying it has helped the country avoid “potential minefields”. He also urged India to take the lead in mobilising the Global South and strategic-partner countries to collectively work towards the restoration of peace and order in the region.
This was at variance with the position taken by Congress leadership, which has raised serious doubts about the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy. The party was ‘dissatisfied’ with the response of the government’s handling of the West Asia crisis’ at a recent all party meeting convened by the Centre to discuss the same.
However, Sharma in his statement said that national unity and a mature response guided by national interest is the need of the hour. “India’s response must be backed by a national consensus and resolve. Government has held an all-party meeting to apprise the leadership of political parties of the situation and policy decisions in an unpredictable and volatile situation.
This national dialogue should be sustained. National unity and a mature response guided by national interest is the need of the hour,” the Congress leader said.
Asked about Anand Sharma lauding the Modi government’s handling of the West Asia crisis, Ramesh said, “This is an example and it clearly establishes that the Congress is the only democratic party in the country.”
Sharma had described India’s diplomatic approach as “mature and skilful”, crediting it with steering the country clear of potential pitfalls, even as his remarks diverged from the party’s broader stance on the issue. Sharma has handled the commerce and external affairs ministries during the UPA regime. “The world cannot remain a mute spectator to the collapse of rule based multilateral order and global crisis management mechanism. India has throughout history commanded respect for its moral authority and commitment to peace. There ismuch at stake, especially the future of the younger generation,” he said.
Not just Sharma, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also put the party in an awkward spot with his remark that ‘there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders in the country but the government’s arrangements on the issue are lacking amid the West Asia crisis.