New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation foreign tour, calling the Cyprus visit “strategically important” and crucial in terms of foreign diplomacy.

“The Congress has now become a party whose existence is almost negligible,” Khandelwal said, slamming the Opposition’s criticism of the tour.

“The Cyprus visit is important both strategically and from the perspective of foreign diplomacy. India and Cyprus share a long-standing friendship, and considering the relations between Cyprus and Turkey, and Turkey and Pakistan, we must view this carefully. However, the Opposition only focusses on its political gains and nothing else,” he added.

On the other hand, Congress leaders have targeted the Prime Minister for leaving the country at a time of national mourning, following the tragic Ahmedabad Air India plane crash.

Ajay Kumar Lallu, a senior Congress leader, questioned the PM’s priorities. “Such a tragic accident just happened in the nation, the whole nation is mourning over the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash, and the Prime Minister embarked on an international tour,” Lallu said.

“As he is gone, I hope if PM Modi is going to meet US President Trump during the G7 summit, he asks him why he claimed the credit of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan repeatedly.”

Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took to social media to take a dig at the PM’s travel frequency and his silence on internal issues.

“This marks his 35th overseas trip since May 2023, yet the PM has not visited or met anyone from Manipur,” Ramesh said, pointing to the prolonged ethnic crisis in the northeastern state.

He also mocked PM Modi’s supporters, saying, “They used to boast he wouldn’t attend the G7 even if invited. Now it seems Canada was hesitant to extend one.”

–IANS

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