In a scathing critique, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Saturday questioned the Narendra Modi government’s outreach to the Taliban, highlighting what he perceives as a stark contrast in diplomatic priorities.
Ramesh’s remarks underscore growing concerns over India’s engagement with the Taliban regime, sparking debate over the implications for India’s foreign policy and values.
The controversy began when the Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, visited New Delhi and was granted a meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. However, the visit took a contentious turn when women journalists were barred from attending a press conference addressed by Muttaqi, sparking widespread criticism.
“Imagine if a Congress government had reached out to the Taliban in the manner in which the Modi government has done: what the reaction of the BJP and its ecosystem would have been?” Ramesh said in a post on X, questioning the diplomatic priorities of the current government. He further criticized PM Modi’s “unqualified praise” for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it “shocking, shameful, and morally atrocious.”
Ramesh accused the Modi government of engaging in “selective diplomacy”, prioritizing strategic interests over humanitarian concerns and constitutional values.
“The Prime Minister spent all day yesterday talking to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and sending message after message of praise and admiration to President Trump. He did not, of course, forget to speak to the man who has unleashed a genocide in Gaza — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Ramesh had earlier stated.
The opposition’s criticism highlights the challenges facing the Modi government in navigating complex geopolitical relationships while upholding India’s Constitutional values. As India seeks to balance its strategic interests with its commitment to democracy and human rights, the government’s approach to the Taliban and other authoritarian regimes will continue to be closely watched.