Row over diplomatic delegations intensifies

CONG SLAMS RIJIJU'S GOVT 'DID NOT ASK FOR NAMES' REMARK

- MPOST BUREAU

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday dismissed as an "absolute lie" Union minister Kiren Rijiju's reported assertion that the government did not ask for names for the all-party diplomatic delegations going abroad, and said it was "cheap politics" to not get the names it selected cleared with the Opposition party.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the same Prime Minister who had abused the Congress publicly in countries such as Australia, the US, South Korea and China, was taking the help of the Opposition party in these delegations.

"Why didn't the Prime Minister pick up the phone and speak to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi? Why didn't he have the courtesy to do that? The fact is that our narrative has been punctured and continues to get punctured because of the politics of polarisation in the country," Ramesh said.