Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 13 criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party over remarks involving Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, alleging that the exchange crossed the limits of political decency and could affect India’s foreign relations.
The controversy followed Gandhi’s address at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, where he criticised the Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy and argued that India’s interests should take precedence over personal relationships between political leaders.
During the speech, Gandhi hugged Congress leader Sandeep Dixit in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public embraces with foreign leaders. Dixit then joked, “You weren’t hugging me thinking I was Meloni?”
Sharing a video of the exchange, Sarma accused the Congress leadership of making objectionable remarks about the leader of a friendly country. He also criticised the reaction from people present at the event, saying the incident reflected poorly on the political culture being promoted.
Sarma described the episode as more than political impropriety and alleged that it amounted to an attempt to harm India’s diplomatic relations. He said disrespect towards women should not be treated as a source of amusement.
Earlier, Gandhi said India’s foreign policy should be based on national interest rather than personal friendships with foreign leaders. He argued that the Prime Minister’s responsibility was to protect the country and criticised the idea that foreign policy was defined by personal meetings and embraces with other politicians.
