Modi comments on criticism over foreign trips

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he and his predecessors had embarked on more or less same number of foreign visits, but his overseas tours got noticed more because he interacted with people, took decisions and made heard the voice of India.

The Prime Minister responded to criticism over his frequent foreign visits during an interview with ANI.

“If you count, there are number of multilateral forums, summit-level meetings. If the level is lower than Prime Minister, the voice is not heard. (Former Prime Minister) Manmohan Singhji also had been to these summits. It has become mandatory. I try that India’s voice reaches the world,” the ANI quoted Prime Minister saying during the interview.

“Earlier,” Modi added, “when (the) PM used to go, nobody used to notice at the place they arrived in, even (at) the place from where they departed. no one noticed. My visits are noticed because I interact with people and take decisions,” Prime Minister said.

On India-China military face-off at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan in June-August 2017, Prime Minister said that nothing had happened that could be termed as a deceit by China on India. He said that India should be judged what it had done in Doklam Plateau.

“Our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours,” the ANI quoted Prime Minister saying.