'Personality-driven foreign policy exposed Vishwaguru as Vishwaphoney': Congress' dig at PM Modi

New Delhi: Congress on Sunday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being seen "only as a pliant pushover" by the United States with Pakistan becoming a 'dalaal (broker)" signalling a "colossal failure" of his foreign policy and narrative management after the military success in Operation Sindoor.

It said the "unravelling" of Modi's heavily "personality-driven foreign policy" has exposed "the self-styled Vishwaguru as a Vishwaphoney".

General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said Modi has tried to "appease" the US in various ways and even his "betrayal" of farmers via the trade deal that gave the US unprecedented access to Indian agriculture markets has not been able to help him gain any diplomatic leverage with the US.

"He’s only seen as a pliant pushover," he posted on 'X', as the party attacked the government defended Pakistan's mediation role in West Asia saying there is nothing new in Pakistan's mediation efforts in the matter as that country has been "used" by the US since 1981.

Ramesh said Pakistan is a country where democracy is a farce to be reckoned with, whose economy is a basket case, dependent on a lifeline extended by the IMF and few other donors like China and Saudi Arabia and has for decades been known as a haven for terrorists who perpetrate attacks not only on its neighbours but in different parts of the world.

"It is a country that was dealt with very strictly by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden. Now, after having been isolated following its terror offensive in Mumbai in Nov 2008, Pakistan has acquired a new acceptance," he said.

"That Pakistan has become - in the words of the learned Dr. S. Jaishankar - a 'dalaal' is a reflection of the colossal failure of the Modi government's foreign policy, diplomatic engagement and narrative management following India's striking military success in Operation Sindoor," he said.

President Donald Trump, who calls Modi his "good friend", has contributed heavily to Pakistan's current respectability, Ramesh said, asking why and how did Modi allow it to happen, even as he boasted of his special relationship with the White House.