One of the most significant diplomatic moves made recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has ignited a storm in the domestic politics of the country, was when the senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday extended his support to the diplomatic efforts of the Prime Minister in dealing with US President Donald Trump for the safety of Indian seafarers.
Unexpected support from such a notable figure of the opposition has become a new weapon for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that claims that it has finally managed to fully “expose” criticism of the country’s foreign policy by the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Tharoor defends PM Modi’s diplomacy on sidelines of G7 Summit
Referring to the high-level bilateral talks between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Evian, France, Tharoor said that the Prime Minister has clearly explained India’s concerns about the safety of civilians in the maritime sector amid the rising tensions in the Middle East region.
“PM Modi made his point clear in both the public and private meetings with the President. It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed,” Tharoor stated.
India’s significant interests in international shipping routes were reflected when he stated, “Other than the larger issue, we have Indian sailors on Indian-flagged ships, as well as others. If they are violating your blockade, find another way of stopping them but don’t kill people.”
Congress strikes back at Trump in wake of strike in Gulf of Oman
Tharoor’s supportive statements are in stark contrast to the position held by the Congress party officials just a few days prior to these developments. Indeed, on Wednesday, the opposition party unleashed a barrage of criticism towards PM Modi, stating that the politician has shown “strategic silence” during his first encounter with Trump in 16 months.
Namely, the Congress Party demanded answers on why the Prime Minister did not demand an official apology or expression of remorse from the American side following the US military action in the Gulf of Oman resulting in the death of three Indian sailors. According to the opposition, the current administration has failed to properly portray national outrage on the international stage over the incident.
BJP makes use of Tharoor’s words against Rahul Gandhi
The BJP wasted no time in exploiting Tharoor’s endorsement, turning it against the party by depicting the Congress party as divided and questioning the national security qualifications of Rahul Gandhi.
“In his own way, Shashi Tharoor has exposed Rahul Gandhi. Leaders of the Congress party have openly congratulated PM @narendramodi ji’s diplomatic skill.” BJP national spokesman Pradeep Bhandari tweeted in a pointed tweet from X. “In terms of defending India’s national interests, PM Modi is the number one. In terms of criticising India’s national interest, Rahul Gandhi beats all others.”
At the Evian bilateral meeting, PM Modi had explicitly stated that the well-being of the lakhs of Indians employed as commercial seafarers is very important for New Delhi in light of the increasing tensions in the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump, in turn, recognised the importance of this strategic relationship by calling PM Modi “a tough negotiator” during their private talks.
