Narendra Modi-Donald Trump meet: Venkaiah Naidu terms Congress' criticism of US visit 'sheer jealousy'

New Delhi: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday that the Congress “deliberately refuses to see” the outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US due to “sheer jealousy” and “guilt” of lost opportunities during the UPA’s regime.

The information and broadcasting minister’s comments came after Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari termed the India-US joint statement as “disappointing and old hat”, lacking “new or big ideas” in the relationship between the two countries.

“Congress deliberately refuses to see and believe the significant outcomes of this visit of PM and his meeting with the new US President for the first time.

“This is borne out of sheer jealousy and guilt as the prime minister’s every foreign visit holds a mirror to the lost opportunities during the 10 years of UPA rule,” Naidu told reporters in New Delhi.

He said the “grand and warm welcome” extended to Modi by the White House and the US president speaks for the rising importance of India in the global economic and geo-political order.

“Congress is particularly disappointed by the fact the US President acknowledged the accomplishments of India under Modi during the last three years,” Naidu said, adding that Trump particularly referred to the comprehensive battle against corruption launched during NDA rule.

The minister said the main objective of the visit was to further strengthen Indo-US relations, besides sharing perspectives on a wide range of regional and global issues including the menace of terrorism, trade and economic cooperation.

In this regard, Naidu said, the prime minister’s visit was a “success” which was reflected in the joint media briefing by the two leaders.

He claimed that the growing status of Modi as a global leader and rising status of India in the comity of nations “obviously is not digestible” to Congress given their “lacklustre foreign policy” during its 10-year rule.

He said the US administration has declared Syed Salahuddin of Hizbul Mujahideen as a “global terrorist”, reflecting India’s concerns in the matter.

“If this is not a major outcome of PM’s visit to the US for the Congress party, this is a clear evidence of disorientation that this party is suffering from (due to) its growing irrelevance and mounting frustration,” Naidu claimed.