Rahul takes a dig at PM over NSG membership bid

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his failure in getting India membership to the Nuclear Suppliers

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his failure in getting India membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

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Gandhi took to Twitter to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party(B JP )- led National Democratic Alliance ( NDA) government on the issue.

“NSG: How to lose a negotiation by Narendra Modi,” he posted on the social networking site with the hashtag ‘failed Modi diplomacy’.

Gandhi’s criticism came a day after his party attacked the government for the “embarrassment” in Seoul over India’s failed bid to clinch the membership of the 48-member club.

India, which had been lobbying for months to join the nuclear group, was left disappointed on Friday when China successfully managed to block the bid.

Arguing on technicality, China led the opposition, rallying others among the 48-nation group.

The NSG — which works on consensus and thus requires all members to agree to a new entrant — is significant as it gives countries access to nuclear technology and facilitates trade.

As member nations debated on India’s bid and left the matter undecided during the NSG’s pl enary s ession in Seoul, the main opposition here at home used the opportunity to attack Modi.

“We do not know why India showed its desperation and allowed the country to be equated with Pakistan on the issue of NSG membership,” senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said on Friday.

“It’s high time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi realises that diplomacy requires gravitas, depth and seriousness. PM Modi needs to realise diplomacy needs depth not public tamasha,” he said.

“The world saw the prime Minister make a spectacle of himself and India. Now, India faces embarrassment unnecessarily,” he said.