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Senior Congress leader Congress leader Shashi Tharoor lauded the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 members, saying that it “undoubtedly” represents “a diplomatic triumph for India”.
In an exclusive interview with news agency ANI, the former UN Diplomat and acclaimed author Shashi Tharoor said, “The Delhi Declaration is undoubtedly a diplomatic triumph for India. It’s a good achievement because right until the G20 summit was being convened, the widespread expectation was there would be no agreement and, that, therefore, a joint communique might not be possible, and, that we might have to end up with a chairman’s summary.”
The Congress MP also praised the Modi govt for bringing all member states to a consensus on the New Delhi Declaration.
“The main reason (for lack of a consensus on the statement) was the big gulf between those who wanted a condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine and those, like Russia and China, who wanted no mention whatsoever of that subject. India was able to find a formula to bridge that gap and that is a significant diplomatic achievement because when there is a Summit without a joint communique, it is always seen as a setback for the chairman,” Tharoor added as quoted by ANI.
Apart for hailing Tharoor also took a dig at the BJP saying , ruling party and said that it was also an attempt by the “ruling party” (BJP) to turn the mega huddle of world leaders into an “asset” for themselves. “But it was also an attempt by the ruling party to instrumentalize the G20 as something that would turn out to be an asset for them,” Tharoor said.
#WATCH | BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, “It is good. He (Shashi Tharoor) is a former diplomat. The manner in which India has gained a respectable position under the leadership of PM Modi, the manner in which a consensus (on G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration) has been received,… https://t.co/ql9jCkK8Fi pic.twitter.com/yA99pLJd2Z
— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2023
“Things that were remarkable about the government’s conduct of the presidency was that they did something that no previous G20 presidency has done. They actually made it a nationwide event, 200 meetings in 58 cities with huge amount of action, they converted the G20 into a sort of people G20. With public events, the university connect programmes, civil societies, all these things were done under our presidency. That is in some ways both a credit to India for taking a message of G20 to the entire people,” he said.
Speaking about PM Modi proposed to hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals made at the premier forum for international economic cooperation, Tharoor said, “They have every right to do that, they are the ruling party. Many countries have hosted the G20 event, but never a ruling party has celebrated its leadership in such a way, the whole Vishwaguru concept, the posters of Mr Modi every 50 meters in Delhi. All of these are advertising the G20 as if it was the personal achievement of Mr Modi and the BJP government and that I think has raised some eyebrows.”
Tharoor also slammed the MOdi government for not inviting the opposition to the G20 Summit. Tharoor said that a country that calls itself the “Mother of Democracy” completely excluded its “democratic opposition” from the event.
“A country which calls itself the Mother of Democracy was showcasing an event from which its democratic opposition was excluded. That was very unfortunate,” the Congress MP said.
Tharoor said that there was a “complete failure” to accommodate the Opposition in the G20 event and the spirit of “accommodation and conciliation” that was present in achieving the Delhi Declaration was not extended in the “domestic context”.
“There was a complete failure to accommodate the Opposition. The same spirit of accommodation and conciliation that we saw in achieving the Declaration was not extended in the domestic context to Indians,” Tharoor said.
Reacting to Shashi Tharoor’s remarks, Former Law Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI, “It is good. He (Shashi Tharoor) is a former diplomat. The manner in which India has gained a respectable position under the leadership of PM Modi, the manner in which a consensus (on G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration) has been received, the manner in which the African Union has received a seat at the G20 is a significant diplomatic triumph for India…Prime Minister has done a historic work. If Shashi Tharoor is seeing something good in it, it is good. I hope the rest of the leaders of Congress, including those on a foreign visit, see something good in it.”
