Severing ties with foreign nations govt’s call, Cong asks PM, EAM to clarify stance on Turkiye
The clamour in the country against Turkey and Azerbaijan for backing Pakistan has triggered a fresh war of words between the Congress and the BJP, with the grand old party urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to immediately clarify the government’s stance on the issue.
The BJP had criticised the Congress over the party leaders’ evasive response to a question on calls for boycott of trade and tourism with the two countries. In his response, Congress leader Pawan Khera said decisions on maintaining or severing ties with any country should be made by the government, not the Opposition.
“Since this question is being raised by an office-bearer of the BJP, the PM and the External Affairs Minister should immediately clarify if the Government of India has snapped all diplomatic and trade relations with Turkey and also shut their embassy in India,” Khera wrote on social media.
During the recent hostilities between India and Pakistan, Turkey had supplied drones to Pakistan and even deployed military operatives in its support. Azerbaijan, which also backed Pakistan, aligned with Turkey in the confrontation. This had prompted widespread calls for a boycott of Turkish products as well as relations with Turkey.
BJP’s Amit Malviya had shared a video of Khera and Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh, in which they appeared to avoid a question about the boycott of Turkish products.
He said, “Although the country is enraged by the support Turkey and Azerbaijan have extended to the terror state of Pakistan, the Congress party cannot even bring itself to align with the broader sentiment of the Indian people.”
“No wonder it remains so disconnected from the public. It deserves its political oblivion and complete isolation,” the BJP leader had added.
Echoing Khera’s comment, Ramesh said, “In the same vein, PM Modi and Jaishankar should also clarify why the government has pursued normalisation with China despite its continued encroachment on Indian territory or why the PM lied to the people of India and irrevocably hurt national interests on June 19, 2020, by giving China a public clean chit for its encroachments.”
India