The Congress on Sunday stood with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the stand taken by India at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Jammu and Kashmir but took him to task for returning from the US empty-handed on trade.
The party pointed out that no trade deal had been inked, nor had Modi secured any assurance on the restoration of the Generalised System of Preference for Indian exports to US markets.
In a statement, the chairman of the Congress’s foreign affairs committee, Anand Sharma, said: “Congress Party is in complete agreement with the stand taken by the Prime Minister and the government on Pakistan and the continuing threat of terrorism.
“We congratulate the PM for reiterating India’s firm and consistent position that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and its accession is final and irrevocable. We endorse the official position that all issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir are India’s internal affairs and there is no question of any third party meddling.”
The Congress also condemned the “provocative and preposterous statement” made by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the UNGA, stating that it was aimed at misleading international opinion using falsehood and fabrication of facts to defame India. “The language of the Pakistan PM was unbecoming of a Prime Minister and has no place in any civilised discourse.”
The Congress, however, expressed disappointment that the “much hyped” meeting between Modi and US President Donald Trump had failed to meet India’s expectations despite the “public display of bonhomie and special friendship at the Houston ‘Howdy Modi’ extravaganza”.
Apart from the Houston meeting, Modi and Trump had a bilateral engagement in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Questioning the celebrations organised in New Delhi on Saturday to welcome Modi’s return to India, Sharma said: “There were no tangible outcomes of the visit which would justify the BJP celebration. The Prime Minister was unsuccessful in persuading US President Trump to restore the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) for Indian exports to US markets, withdrawal of reduction in number of H1-B visas for Indian professionals and steep hike in fee.”
Given that the Right-wing ecosystem has successfully sold the message that Modi has raised India’s standing in the world by talking up the meetings he has on foreign visits with other heads of state, Sharma underscored the fact that this is a “routine affair” and part of standard practice at the UNGA.
“They do not have a special significance as is claimed by the government-BJP propaganda. The BJP euphoria on the PM’s visit is misplaced and there is no cause for celebration,” the Congress leader said in the statement.
