'PM At His Cowardly Worst': Congress Reacts To PM Modi's Interview

The Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent interview with a New York-based magazine saying that, "the Prime Minister was at his cowardly worst".

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in his attack on PM Modi said that his response to Chinese threats and border transgressions was "ineffective and feeble".

What did Congress' Jairam Ramesh say?

In a social media post, Ramesh mentioned that the Prime Minister's sole response to China's repeated violations of Indian sovereignty was the urgent need to address the India-China border situation in order to rectify the 'abnormality' in their bilateral relations.

He wrote, "The prime minister had a chance to send a powerful message to China. However, his ineffective and feeble response is likely to only encourage China further in asserting its claim on Indian territory."

"The prime minister's reaction to the China issue is not only disgraceful but also disrespectful to our martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in defending our borders," he added.

The Congress veteran also pointed out PM Modi's statement on June 4, 2020 about Chinese transgression on Indian borders, he said, "The prime minister should apologise to the 140 crore Indians for deceiving them on national television on June 19th, 2020, with his statement 'Na Koi Ghusa Hai, Na Hi Koi Ghus Aaya hai' and keeping the nation in dark about his failures in protecting the borders with China."

What was PM Modi's interview all about?

In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the significance of stable and peaceful relations between India and China for the region and the world.

He expressed optimism that positive and constructive diplomatic and military engagement between the two countries will lead to the restoration and maintenance of peace and tranquillity at their borders.

The New York-based magazine said India's "rapid upward economic trajectory and increasing diplomatic, scientific and military weight make it an emerging superpower of ever-growing importance to the United States and the world".

During the wide-ranging interview carried by the magazine under the headline "Narendra Modi and the Unstoppable Rise of India", the prime minister talked about a host of issues, including the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, ties with Pakistan, Quad, Ram temple and democracy, among others.

In the interview, which is the first to be given to a US magazine in the recent past, Modi said for India, the relationship with China is important and significant.

"It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us. Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world," he said.

"I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity in our borders," Modi said.