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Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday questioned the Centre's foreign policy ahead of the BRICS Summit, alleging that the government had failed to deliver on its promises regarding the Indian rupee and had not adequately responded to challenges posed by China.
Kharge said the government's foreign policy appeared to be off track and questioned its handling of India's economic and strategic interests. "Its been over a decade, the foreign policy has been in shambles. If you see, whether it is procurement of cheap Russian oil, America arm-twists you, you backtrack. At the same time, you hobnob with the Chinese Premier and he annexes Arunachal Pradesh. On one hand, you ban Chinese apps and Chinese goods, and then you backtrack.So, Im not sure if the foreign policy is on track. Earlier, when the BRICS meeting was held, you promised that you will strengthen the rupee. It will become a currency that will travel across the globe. Instead, the dollar price has increased. The rupee has plummeted to new depths. And as usual, the MEA and the Prime Minister is clueless on what to do with India's foreign policy," Kharge said. He also targeted the Centre over its approach towards China, alleging that Beijing was expanding its presence along areas claimed by India. "If you recollect, the Prime Minister of India and the Chinese Premier sat on a swing in Gujarat, had discussions in Mahabalipuram, and what happened after that? They annexed Arunachal Pradesh. They're annexing other parts of India. They're building villages within our borders. And the Prime Minister does not even have it in him to rise to the occasion and say that what the Chinese government is doing is wrong. You have lost key patrolling sites. You have lost key areas for the Indian Army. And you don't even have the courage to stand up to them," he said. The Karnataka Minister alleged, "Yeh 56 inch ka seena sirf Congress ko dikhane ke liye hai ki desh ke dushman ko bhi dikhane ke liye hai? [Is this 56-inch chest only to show to the Congress, or is it to show to the enemies of the country as well?]And when you have somebody like the MEA Minister who says, "Will I pick a fight with a bigger economy?", you can understand the foreign policy of the country." Kharge also criticised the BJP over the ongoing controversy surrounding Vande Mataram and questioned the party's authority to determine how the national song should be performed. "Does BJP think they're bigger than Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel? Are they bigger than Nehru, Gandhi or Subhash Chandra Bose? These are the people who decided what has to be sung. Is BJP above these people?" he said. Kharge further questioned the BJP's contribution to India's freedom struggle and made allegations against the RSS and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. "What is their contribution to the freedom struggle? When Netaji Bose was raising the army against the British, what were the RSS and Savarkar doing?" he asked. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, addressing the BRICS Business Forum, said greater economic activity and economic security within BRICS would contribute to greater self-reliance. Jaishankar stressed the need to strengthen business ties, diversify commercial relationships and build resilient supply chains among member countries. The main programme of the BRICS Summit is scheduled to begin on September 12, with leaders expected to discuss India's initiatives as chair and ways to further strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership. Key areas are expected to include trade, finance, energy security, digital technology, resilient supply chains and global governance reforms. (ANI)
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