Congress slams PM Modi's 'blind devotion to Israel', says national interest demands greater balance

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday hit out at the Modi government's handling of the foreign policy, saying Pakistan seems to have acquired a new regional and global influence and this coupled with China's deep embedding in Pakistan's strategic apparatus, poses a formidable geo-political challenge for India.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the news that the US and Iran will be signing an agreement on June 19 in Geneva to halt hostilities in West Asia is to be welcomed, even though the full details are yet to be made public officially.

"There is universal hope that the two countries (as also Israel) will abide by the accord -- even though it is of an interim nature -- and that the accord will lead to a more permanent normalization," Ramesh said on X.

While the unrestricted re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz will certainly bring great relief to India, it does not mean the structural problems the economy faces will soon be surmounted, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said.

"These concerns clearly predate the current war in West Asia that began just two days after Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel. The rupee had been under considerable pressure for over a year and the gap between the demand and supply of dollars had been growing. Rates of private investment -- a most crucial determinant of GDP growth- have been tepid for many years," Ramesh said.

"This is the result of sluggish growth in demand that, in turn, is the outcome of stagnation in real wages over the past decade; Modi Government's failure to check the dumping of imports from China that has resulted in a record trade deficit and endangered growth of job-generating MSMEs in particular; overall investment climate vitiated by unchecked powers given to tax authorities and investigative agencies," he said.

Pakistan, which had been successfully isolated by India after its orchestration of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, now seems to have acquired a new regional and global influence, the Congress leader claimed.

"This, coupled with China's deep embedding in Pakistan's strategic apparatus, poses a formidable geo-political challenge for India's foreign policy," Ramesh said.

"It is too much to expect Mr. Modi to rethink his blind devotion and unconditional support to Israel. But humanitarian considerations and long-standing commitments apart, our national interest demands greater balance than Mr. Modi has shown," he said.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the signing of the peace agreement between Iran and the US comes as a relief to all those who value peace but it has arrived after immense suffering, loss of life, and destruction across West Asia, particularly in Iran and Lebanon.

"For India, however, this moment raises uncomfortable questions about our place in the emerging world order. The agreement was facilitated through the efforts of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. India, despite its civilizational ties with Iran and despite Prime Minister Modi's much-publicised personal rapport with President Trump, was nowhere in the picture," Khera said.

"We failed to leverage these relationships, enhance our diplomatic relevance, or contribute meaningfully to the pursuit of peace. Instead, our External Affairs Minister dismissed the very idea of mediation as 'dalali'," he said on X.

For years, India worked to expose Pakistan's role in sponsoring and exporting terrorism, he pointed out.

"Under the UPA government, sustained diplomatic efforts contributed to Pakistan being placed on the FATF grey list. Yet today, Pakistan has successfully projected itself as a stakeholder in global stability and a beacon of peace," Khera said.

"We lost not only the lives of our sailors, but also ground in the battle of perception and diplomacy. While others helped shape the outcome, India was reduced to a fly on the wall, a helpless, mute spectator," he said.

"This was never India's war. Yet somehow, we emerge diminished from it," he said.

In another post, Khera said now that the war is over, Modi's excuse should end too and crude oil prices must come down.

"Supply chains will normalize. Demand will stabilize. Naturally, the benefits of this should also reach the country's consumers....Will Modi ji announce this good news from France itself? Or will the country have to wait for his return?" he said.

The Congress leaders' remarks came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a peace deal between the US and Iran has been reached, and it will be officially signed off in a ceremony in Switzerland on June 19.

In a post on X in the early hours of Monday, Sharif said, "Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED."

He added that both sides have declared the "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

The official signing ceremony will be on June 19 in Switzerland, he said.

Sharif thanked the US and Iran for their commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict. He also extended sincere appreciation to "our brothers in this mediation effort, the great leadership of the State of Qatar", for their support in reaching this agreement.