Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was disappointed at External Affairs Minsiter Sushma Swaraj's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He felt that the speech did not construct a positive image of the country and was aimed at BJP voters. According to Tharoor, the speech was mainly about the political environment of the country.
“This was a speech aimed at BJP voters and sending out a message to them particularly on the subject of Pakistan, rather than constructing a positive and constructive image of the India in the world,” he added.
We get the sense that everything is about the political environment in India&this was a speech aimed at BJP voters&sending a message to them particularly on subject of Pak rather than constructing a positive&constructive image of India in the world: S Tharoor on EAM's UNGA speech pic.twitter.com/4EMTcKW8Xz
— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2018
The external affairs minister had lashed out at Pakistan for "masking malevolence with duplicity" and "harbouring terrorists".
Rejecting Pakistan’s charge of India shying away from talks, Swaraj clarified it was impossible to hold dialogue with a nation which allows a proclaimed terrorist like Hafiz Saeed to roam freely. Swaraj attacked Pakistan for providing safe haven to terrorism. She also talked about Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan and several other schemes by the Modi government.
"We have not sabotaged negotiations with Pakistan. We began talks with them because we believed it necessary. They were stalled only because of Pakistan's own behaviour," she said.
She further emphasised that India wants peace and their request for talks was accepted after the Imran Khan-government had come to power in Pakistan.
"But within hours, they killed three of our policemen in Kashmir," she added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan had dismissed her charges as "baseless" and further accused India of choosing politics over peace.
