Congress slams Modi over US-Iran war, calls him ‘self-styled vishwaguru’
Shares ex-PM Manmohan’s speech on Iraq war in 2005
The Congress on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the “self-styled Vishwaguru” would “never learn” that a government earns global respect by standing up for its beliefs and safeguarding national interests.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh made the remarks in a post on X, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. “A government that stands up for its beliefs and its people’s interests is also one that is respected across the world. That’s a lesson that the self-styled Vishwaguru will never learn,” he said.
The Opposition party has strongly criticised developments in West Asia in recent days. On Sunday, it “unequivocally” condemned the targeted assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating that no external power has the authority to engineer regime change. It said that such actions amounted to imperialism and were incompatible with a rules-based international order.
The Congress also condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and called upon the Indian Government to help de-escalate hostilities and ensure the safety of Indians in the region. Against this backdrop, Ramesh shared a video clip of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaking in Washington on July 20, 2005. Referring to the US-led invasion of Iraq, Singh had said, “As far as the (US-led) invasion of Iraq is concerned, it was our sincere view that it was a mistake.”
Jairam noted that Singh, “who was singularly responsible for the India-US nuclear agreement”, had made the remark during his visit to the United States.
