Govt foreign policy diabolical instrument of electoral polarisation: Sonia

Sonia Gandhi said the consensus between government and opposition on diplomatic issues has been damaged because of PM Modi's continued reluctance to take the opposition into confidence

Claiming that India's foreign policy has become a diabolical instrument of electoral mobilisation and polarisation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the consensus between government and Opposition on diplomatic issues has been damaged because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued reluctance to take the Opposition into confidence.

Speaking at the Congress' Working Commitee meeting, Gandhi said PM Modi's silence on borders issues is costing the nation 'dearly'.

"There has always been a broad consensus on foreign and neighbourhood policy in our country. But that consensus has been damaged because of the Prime Minister's continued reluctance to take the Opposition into confidence in any meaningful manner. Foreign policy has become a diabolical instrument of electoral mobilisation and polarisation. We face serious challenges on our borders and on other fronts. The Prime Minister told the opposition leaders last year that there had not been any occupation of our territory by China and his silence ever since is costing our nation dearly," she said.

She also slammed the Centre's National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) scheme, and said the country's social goals are in jeopardy because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's single-point agenda of "Becho, Becho, Becho" (sell, sell, sell).

The Congress chief said the economy continues to be a cause of great concern "in spite of the government propaganda to make us believe that it is not."

"As we all know, the only answer the government seems to have for economic recovery is selling off national assets built with great effort over the decades. The public sector has had not just strategic and economic objectives---it has had social goals as well, as, for instance, empowerment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and development of backward areas. But all this is in jeopardy with the Modi government's single-point agenda of Becho, Becho, Becho," she added.