NEW DELHI, Mar 26: The Congress on Thursday took a dig at the Modi government over its “dalaal nation” reference to Pakistan’s reported mediation in the West Asia conflict, saying “the self-styled Vishwaguru’s” diplomacy and narrative failures have turned a “broken country into a broker country”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the dapper and long-experienced External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is doing his best to cover up India’s “extreme embarrassment” and the setback to its regional diplomacy from Pakistan’s emergence as a mediator and facilitator of talks to end the current war in West Asia.
“It is truly atrocious that Pakistan is being considered fit for the role.
This is a country whose state has orchestrated terrorism in India and other countries for over four decades; given sanctuary to Osama bin Laden and other dreaded global terrorists for decades and egregiously broken nuclear non-proliferation laws to help other countries go nuclear.
“The role of the AQ Khan network has been well documented and publicly acknowledged by the then President Musharraf himself. Mercilessly bombed hospitals and civilian facilities in Afghanistan and waged war against its own citizens and religious minorities in different provinces, including Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other provinces,” Ramesh said on X.
The Congress leader said that Pakistan can even be so considered for a mediating role, is the most damning indictment of both the substance and style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomacy, which has been full of bombast and marked by cowardice.
Remember, that Pakistan stood isolated after it had carried out the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, because Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government was able to convince the world of Pakistan’s nefarious role, he said.
“In contrast, even after the communally incendiary and poisonous statements of the Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir provided the oxygen for the terror attacks in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, we have been unable to isolate Pakistan on the international stage,” Ramesh said.
In fact, it has only emerged as a more relevant actor, and after May 10, 2025 itself, it has become clear that Field Marshal Asim Munir had become a favourite of US President Donald Trump and his team, he said.
“The External Affairs Minister said last night that India is not a broker country. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the colossal failures in our diplomacy, outreach, and narrative management have made a broken country a broker country,” Ramesh said.
“That is the self-styled Vishwaguru’s singular contribution to our diplomatic record – which no amount of one-liners from the EAM can erase,” he said. The Congress on Wednesday also had a swipe at the government after it called Pakistan a “dalaal nation” in reference to its reported mediation in the West Asia conflict, saying the failure of “Modi huglomacy” is that a broken country is now poised to be a broker country .
The opposition party’s jibe came after the government told an all-party meeting on the West Asia situation that there is nothing new in Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the matter as that country has been “used” by the US since 1981.
“We are not a dalaal nation,” Jaishankar is said to have told the attendees of the meeting convened at the Parliament complex to discuss the West Asia crisis.
Reacting to it, Ramesh had said on X, “Failure of Modi huglomacy: a broken country is now poised to be a ‘broker country'” Tagging a media report on Jaishankar’s remarks, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Kherahad, in a social media post, said “Was India a ‘Broker Country’ when Modi was desperate to mediate between Russia & Ukraine? Selective brokering or selective memory?” The government told the all-party meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to US President Donald Trump that the war in West Asia between the US-Israel and Iran must end soon as it is hurting everyone.
Sources said that the government refuted the opposition’s charge that New Delhi was silent on the situation, asserting that “we are commenting and responding”.
The government is also said to have informed the parties that its prime concern is ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora living in the Gulf region and fulfilling domestic energy needs.
On that count, the government said it has been successful so far. The opposition, however, said the answers provided at the meeting by the government were “unsatisfactory” and demanded that a debate be held on the West Asia situation in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. (Agencies)
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