NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday described Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s praise of the government’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war as an endorsement of India’s adept diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad described Tharoor’s admission that he has been proved incorrect in his initial criticism of the government for not speaking out against the Rusian invasion of Ukraine as a case of “better late than never”. Prasad told reporters that the Modi government takes decisions in India’s best interests.
BJP MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the government’s diplomatic expertise is evident to anyone who understands foreign affairs. He noted that Modi had met the presidents of both warring nations and received similar warmth from both.
India has marked an epochal change in its diplomacy under Modi as it has gone from non-aligned to “all-aligned” in its approach, he said. “India is emerging as a friend of the world, and this is what has been expressed by the senior Congress leader,” Trivedi added.
Tharoor said on Tuesday that the policy adopted by India following the outbreak of the conflict means that the country actually has a prime minister who can hug both the presidents of Ukraine and Russia two weeks apart and be accepted in both places.
The former minister of state for external affairs said, “I am still wiping the egg off my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position at the time back in February 2022.” Tharoor justified his changed stand on Wednesday and said he voiced his opinion as an Indian and does not see politics in that.
BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra said all Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, as well as other INDIA bloc leaders should learn from Tharoor and appreciate him for his stand.