Hours after G-20 leaders adopted the Delhi Declaration by consensus on Saturday, Congress leaders targeted the Narendra Modi government over certain paragraphs in the formulation.
“Here’s yet another example of the staggering hypocrisy of the self-styled Vishwaguru. At the global level, in the G20 declaration para 78, he commits to respecting religious and cultural diversity and promoting dialogue and tolerance. At home in India, he refuses to act on ethnic violence in Manipur nor has he visited the state,” Congress’ communication chief Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
“He remains silent on hate speech, lynchings, targeted killings, and attacks on holy places. His party and the larger ecosystem he belongs to, has unleashed systematic polarisation campaigns in states like Haryana and Uttarakhand, and has torn apart the social fabric of the nation,” Mr. Ramesh added.
The Congress leader also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “global talk” was at odds with his “local walk” when it came to his remarks on environment during the G-20 summit.
He accused the Modi government of comprehensively dismantling India’s environmental protections and snatching away the rights of the most vulnerable communities dependent on forests.
“The PM’s statements at the G20 and other summits globally are sheer hypocrisy. While destroying protections for India’s forests and biodiversity, and diluting the rights of Adivasis and forest-dwelling communities, he talks of environment, climate action and equity. The ‘Global Talk’ is completely at odds from the ‘Local Walk’,” he said.
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari, in a post on X, also questioned why the G-20 hadn’t categorically condemned the aggression against Ukraine.
“Para 8 of the Leaders Declaration may get E for Effort insofar as clever drafting goes otherwise it is a complete cop out. Rather than unequivocally condemning the aggression on Ukraine you get a formulation where reiteration of National positions becomes a Raison d’état I.e. National positions of aggressors and those who condemned the aggression are equated & harmonised,” Mr. Tewari said.
