Modi govt can't claim India has become 'Vishwaguru' by hugging global leaders everywhere : Mani Shankar Aiyar

New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, on Tuesday, launched a sharp political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy, saying it has been dangerously "personalised" and reduced to mere optics of hugging global leaders.

His comments came in response to US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he personally brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

"Foreign policy should never be made personal," Aiyar said, speaking to reporters in Delhi.

To a question on claims by the ruling BJP-led Union government that the country has seen massive achievements in the international arena, the Congress veteran replied, saying: "This government's biggest mistake is projecting diplomacy as an individual achievement."

"Just by saying that Prime Minister Modi hugged the most leaders and made friends everywhere, we can't claim India has become number one in the world. The entire foreign service should be used for building relationships -- and the government must consult people who have experience in foreign policy," Aiyar said.

On repeated threats from Trump over the tariff issue and the ongoing import of oil from Russia, the Congress veteran said, "As per my information, public sector companies in the oil sector are no longer buying from Russia. Only private institutions are purchasing oil."

Responding to the record-breaking lighting of 26 lakh lamps in Ayodhya during the Deepotsav, which the BJP hailed as a victory of Sanatan Dharma, Aiyar said: "I am an atheist, so I have nothing to say."

The remarks -- blending sarcasm and criticism -- reflect Aiyar's continued disapproval of the Narendra Modi government's foreign policy and the BJP's growing use of religion in political discourse.

--IANS

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