NSG collapse Modi Govt's "biggest foreign policy failure'', says JDU

Nitish Kumar led party follows Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal in criticising BJP and Modi for India's failure to gain permanent member status of NSG

Pic Courtesy: PTI

Bhubaneswar: With the Opposition targeting the Narendra Modi Government over India`s failure to clinch a membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG), the Janata Dal(United) on Monday dubbed the blockade as `biggest foreign policy failure` of the current regime.

"This is the biggest defeat of present government`s foreign policy. We are being perceived as a part of America`s military organisation and our situation has become like the Philippines and Israel," JD(U) general secretary K.C. Tyagi told ANI.

"The government needs to engage the Chinese counterpart, so that India can get an entry into the NSG group," he added.

The Centre has been on the opposition`s radar over the failed attempt for membership in the NSG, which called it as a diplomacy failure of the Modi government.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had criticised Prime Minister Modi tweeting, "NSG: How to lose a negotiation by Narendra Modi #FailedModiDiplomacy"

The Congress leadership also slammed the Prime Minister for the `public tamasha` over getting an entry into the 48-country elite group.

"The world saw the PM making a spectacle of himself and India in dealing with the NSG issue. Now, India faces an unnecessary embarrassment. It`s high time that he realizes that diplomacy requires gravitas, depth and seriousness. Modi needs to understand that diplomacy needs depth, not public tamasha," Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who never misses an opportunity to target the Centre, too attacked Prime Minister Modi saying he owed an explanation on his foreign trips.

"PM Modi has completely failed on foreign policy front. He owes explanation on what did he do on his foreign jaunts?" he said.

In a setback to India`s efforts to join the 48-nation grouping, a two-day NSG plenary in Seoul didn`t accept India`s membership application.

China, which had made no secret of its opposition, succeeded in scuttling India`s bid despite a significant majority backing the Indian case... while countries like Brazil, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand too opposed to India`s entry in NSG because it is not a signatory to Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).