New Delhi, August 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, arguing that diplomacy cannot be reduced to personal ties with foreign leaders and asserting that India’s external engagement must be guided by national interest.
Addressing a Congress plenary session in New Delhi, Gandhi took a dig at Modi’s widely noted public embraces with foreign leaders, saying the Prime Minister should focus on advancing India’s interests rather than merely building personal relationships with counterparts abroad.
Referring to the conflict involving Iran, Gandhi claimed that India could have played a mediating role had the government acted at the right moment. He alleged that Pakistan subsequently stepped in, leaving the Prime Minister questioning how the situation had developed.
Gandhi also claimed that he was receiving information from within the Prime Minister’s Office.
On China, the Congress leader alleged that Beijing had prevented Indian patrols in Arunachal Pradesh and claimed that the government’s earlier assertions of strength had been undermined. He alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi had projected “bravado” that had subsequently been deflated.
Gandhi further accused the Union government of contacting newspapers and media organisations to prevent reports on the alleged developments from being published or broadcast.
Recalling the 2020 Galwan clash, Gandhi said Modi had stated that China had not taken any Indian territory, while alleging that the Army had maintained that land had been occupied. He claimed such statements had weakened India’s position during subsequent discussions with China.
“These people have destroyed our foreign policy and weakened the country internally,” Gandhi alleged.
He also criticised the government over what he described as a lack of understanding of India’s traditions and contemporary realities. Gandhi said the country could be understood only when people were allowed to speak freely, alleging that the government was unwilling to provide such space.
Questioning why Modi did not hold press conferences, Gandhi recalled an alleged interaction with a police officer outside the Prime Minister’s residence and said he had previously assumed there was a strategic reason behind the Prime Minister’s approach to media interactions.
He also claimed that the BJP leadership was aware of the Congress’ political strength and recounted overhearing a BJP leader in Parliament saying that Gandhi “doesn’t fit into any mould”.
The allegations made by Gandhi were part of his broader criticism of the Modi government’s foreign policy and approach to public accountability.
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