Congress Condemns Ambassador’s Defense of PM Modi in The Irish Times Editorial Response
New Delhi, 16th April 2024: The Congress party has criticized the Indian Ambassador to Ireland for attacking opposition parties while responding to an editorial in The Irish Times that accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of cracking down on free speech and opposition parties. Congress’s communications in-charge, Jairam Ramesh, found it “unprofessional and disgraceful” for the ambassador to openly criticize opposition parties “like a party apparatchik” in his defence of PM Modi.
The editorial, titled “Modi tightens his grip,” discussed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and claimed that “intolerant Hindu-first majoritarianism is the order of the day” in India. It also compared Modi with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, alleging that Modi’s embrace of Hindu nationalism has increased anti-Muslim tensions and eroded India’s traditional secularism.
The editorial accused PM Modi of a widespread crackdown on free speech and opposition parties, citing the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over a liquor policy case and the freezing of the bank accounts of Congress, which impacted its ability to campaign.
In response, Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra called the editorial “highly biased and prejudiced” and defended PM Modi’s fight against corruption as a major factor in his popularity. He emphasized that the BJP government had given agencies a free hand to pursue anti-corruption measures, resulting in relief at the grassroots level and recoveries from the rich and powerful.
