Cong slams Modi govt over ‘foreign policy failure’, diplomatic isolation

New Delhi: The Congress launched a blistering attack on the Modi-led government on Thursday, accusing it of presiding over a total collapse of India’s foreign policy, leaving the country diplomatically isolated on the global stage.

Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “It is a complete collapse of India’s foreign policy. It’s no longer just former US President Donald Trump taking credit for mediating the India-Pakistan ceasefire—now even our all-weather ally Russia echoes the same,” Shrinate said.

The Congress leader also criticised the govt’s much-publicised multi-party delegations sent abroad, claiming they achieved nothing of substance. “None of the delegations met heads of state, nor did any country issue a statement in India’s favour or against Pakistan,” she said. “This failure rests squarely with the foreign affairs ministry.”

Shrinate cited the lack of international support following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, contrasting this silence with Pakistan’s growing clout in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, and its access to financial aid from major institutions like the IMF, ADB, and World Bank—bodies where India once wielded significant influence. “Despite the presence of terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, Pakistan is being rewarded, while India remains a mute spectator,” she said.

She pointedly questioned the utility of Prime Minister Modi’s extensive foreign travels, saying they yielded little more than photo opportunities. “What did we gain from visiting 90 countries? Foreign policy is not about reels with red laser eyes. It is about safeguarding national interest,” Shrinate remarked.

Taking aim at the govt’s international standing, Shrinate noted that Canada’s decision to exclude India from the recent G7 meeting was another indicator of India’s declining global stature.

Shrinate also accused the Prime Minister of ignoring domestic sensitivities, stating that while he inaugurated the Katra-Kashmir rail link today, he had not visited victims of Pakistan shelling in Poonch, even 45 days after the attack. Drawing a sharp contrast with the UPA government’s response to the 26/11 attacks, she asked why the terrorists involved in Pahalgam remain at large despite being suspected in at least three other attacks.

Adding to the party’s criticism, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh issued a statement reminding the public that the Katra-Kashmir rail link, inaugurated by the Prime Minister today, was the culmination of work begun by previous governments. Ramesh pointed out that the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) was sanctioned in 1995 under P.V. Narasimha Rao and declared a national project by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002. Between 2005 and 2013, several key stretches were inaugurated by Manmohan Singh. “The completion of the final stretch reflects not just engineering achievement, but the continuity of governance that the Modi government has often ignored in its quest for self-glory,” Ramesh said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ in Rajgir, Bihar, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of caste injustice, stating that 90 per cent of the country’s population—comprising Dalits, backward classes, Adivasis, and other marginalised communities—remains largely excluded from key sectors like the judiciary, corporate leadership, and bureaucracy.