Congress Criticises Modi Government Foreign Policy Over US-Iran Peace Deal And Pakistan-China Ties

The Congress party on Monday sharply criticised the Modi government’s foreign policy management, claiming that Pakistan has regained regional and global influence. According to PTI, the opposition party warned that this development, combined with China's deep strategic integration with Pakistan, presents a formidable geopolitical challenge for India.

The remarks by Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, followed an announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding an upcoming peace agreement between the United States and Iran. While welcoming the interim accord scheduled for signing in Geneva on 19 June to halt hostilities in West Asia, Ramesh argued that India's foreign policy demands greater balance than Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated, criticizing what he termed a blind devotion and unconditional support to Israel.

Expressing a universal hope that the US, Iran, and Israel would abide by the accord to achieve permanent normalisation, Ramesh noted that while the unrestricted re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz would relieve India, it would not resolve the country's pre-existing structural economic issues.

Ramesh stated that the current war in West Asia began just two days after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel. However, he emphasized that India’s economic vulnerabilities predated the conflict. Reported PTI, the Congress leader highlighted that the Indian rupee had been under pressure for over a year alongside a growing demand-supply gap for dollars, while private investment rates remained tepid for many years.

He attributed these economic difficulties to sluggish demand growth caused by a decade of stagnant real wages. Furthermore, he blamed the Modi government’s failure to curb Chinese import dumping, which has led to a record trade deficit and threatened job-generating MSMEs, alongside an investment climate weakened by the unchecked powers of tax authorities and investigative agencies.

Turning back to regional security, Ramesh claimed that Pakistan, which India had successfully isolated after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has now carved out a new geopolitical standing. This revival, paired with China's embedded role in Pakistan's strategic apparatus, complicates India's diplomatic landscape.

The geopolitical shift was highlighted earlier on Monday when Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on X that a peace deal had been reached between the US and Iran. Sharif stated that both nations have declared an immediate and permanent termination of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon, with the official signing ceremony set for 19 June in Switzerland. Sharif expressed gratitude to the US, Iran, and Qatar for their mediation roles.

The diplomatic breakthrough follows a significant escalation on 28 February, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. PTI reported that the strikes resulted in Tehran losing several top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Although Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, has succeeded him as the supreme leader, he has not made a public appearance since the hostilities commenced.

(With inputs from PTI)