Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his foreign visits, referring to PM's stopover in Pakistan in 2015. The Punjab CM's remarks came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) disapproved of his criticism of the Prime Minister's foreign visits, terming the comments "irresponsible".
"It seems that when the PM is flying in his plane, he looks down and asks, ‘Which country is that?’ When told it's so-and-so, he says, ‘No worries, we will reach an hour late where we are going; let’s land here now.' He decides to land just anywhere. That's how he landed in Pakistan too," Mann said while speaking in the assembly on Friday, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Notably, in 2015, PM Modi paid a surprise visit to Islamabad to meet the then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. "The PM decided, just like that, to visit Pakistan. He had biryani and came back. We cannot go to Pakistan, but he can land there!" Mann stated, as quoted by the media house.
PM Modi landed in Islamabad while returning from Russia and a stopover in Afghanistan. He suddenly made a decision to make a stop in Pakistan too.
Responding to MEA's criticism, Mann said, "Don't I have the right to ask about the country's foreign policy and what did he do there? Why does Adani's business start wherever he (PM) goes? I will continue to ask in the future as well."
"With 140 crore people in the country, he should engage with them and address their concerns. He says he will stop the Ukraine war (Ukraine-Russia), but he can't even resolve water issues between Punjab and Haryana," he added.
On Thursday, Mann took a dig at PM Modi over his foreign visits, saying he finds time to tour abroad but "fails" to address the concerns of 140 crore Indians.
Mann had criticised the Prime Minister for celebrating foreign honour from a country with a population of just 10,000 while "neglecting" the nation's pressing issues.
"Pradhan Mantri ji has gone to Ghana? Has he come back from Ghana? Will he come back today? He will be welcomed upon his return in the country." Do not know which countries Magneshia, Galveshia, Tarveshia he has been visiting. (But) he is not staying in the country where 140 crore people live. The countries which he is visiting have a population of 10,000. And he got the biggest award there. Over here, 10,000 people gather to watch the JCB machine (earth moving machine)," he said.
"He has not held a single press conference in 11 years," he further said while taking pot shots at the Prime Minister.
he MEA disapproved of Mann's criticism. Without naming him, it said the Government of India "disassociates" itself from the "unwarranted" comments made by a "high state authority" that undermined India's ties with friendly countries. PM Modi returned to India on Thursday after five-nation tour of Brazil, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina and Namibia.
