'We have strong ties with Italy': MEA reacts to Congress leader's Meloni comment
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'We have strong ties with Italy': MEA reacts to Congress leader's Meloni comment")
India PM Narendra Modi with Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni Photograph: (Giorgia Meloni/X)
MEA urges restraint after Rahul Gandhi's Giorgia Meloni remark, while BJP attacks his comments and Gandhi renews criticism of PM Modi's foreign policy
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday urged political leaders to exercise restraint and maintain respect while making remarks involving foreign leaders, following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s reference to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India shares strong relations with Italy and remains committed to strengthening bilateral ties. He stressed that political issues should be raised respectfully. “India has strong relations with Italy. We want to further strengthen these relations. Any issue should be put forward with respect,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA’s response came a day after Gandhi criticised Modi’s foreign policy at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention (formerly Congress outreach cell), arguing that it appeared to have been reduced to maintaining personal relationships with foreign leaders. Gandhi illustrated his argument on stage by hugging Rachnatmak Congress chief Sandeep Dikshit. “Imagine the ignorance... where did he get the idea that foreign policy was about hugging leaders?” Gandhi said. Dikshit then made a reference to Meloni, asking Gandhi, “Ek cheez pooch sakta hoon? Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha?” Gandhi replied, “I have not reached there yet.” The exchange referred to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and subsequently attracted criticism on social media, with some users describing the remark as misogynistic.
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Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi’s foreign policy
During his speech, Gandhi accused the Modi government of failing to adequately protect India’s interests through its foreign policy. He questioned the Prime Minister’s emphasis on personal rapport with world leaders and argued that foreign policy should primarily be driven by national interests. Gandhi recalled former PM Indira Gandhi’s dealings with the United States and said India had historically sought to maintain relationships with multiple global powers.
“From where, it has gone in PM (Modi’s) head that they (leaders) are my friend,” Gandhi said.
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Gandhi also cited the US-Iran conflict and argued that India could have attempted to bring the two sides together. “A US-Iran war broke out. In such a scenario, if there had been leadership like Indira Gandhi ji, we would have had the biggest opportunity. Because Iran is our old friend, America and Russia are also our friends, so we could have mediated friendship between them. But Pakistan stepped in and took our place, and Narendra Modi just stood by watching,” he said.
BJP hits back at Rahul Gandhi
The BJP strongly criticised Gandhi’s remarks, with party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accusing him of crossing the boundaries of political discourse. Trivedi said Gandhi’s comments reflected what he described as growing arrogance and called the remarks rude and indecent. “What Rahul Gandhi has said makes it evident that his arrogance is now turning into madness,” Trivedi said.
The BJP leader also objected to Gandhi’s description of the BJP and RSS as a ‘bunch of jokers’ and ‘clowns’, arguing that such language was inappropriate. Gandhi had also targeted the RSS during his address, alleging that the organisation had been ‘captured and utilised by the large capital, Mr Adani and Mr Ambani’. He further alleged that the RSS, which he said had once represented sections of small Indian businesses, had increasingly become an instrument of large capital.
‘We will keep them awake’: Gandhi
Gandhi also said the Congress would continue its political campaign against the government until Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah resign. “Till the day Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah don't give their resignations, they will not be able to sleep, we will keep them awake... we will do it without hate, violence,” he said.
Gandhi said the Congress was seeking to promote a political culture based on “love, brotherhood and ahimsa”. He also defended the right to protest, referring to student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. Gandhi accused the government of attempting to impose order on citizens rather than allowing them to freely express their views. “Our job is to make India express itself and break that order,” he said.
