Gandhinagar, Sep 14 (PTI) A resolution tabled by the ruling BJP in the Gujarat assembly on Thursday said India received the G20 presidency because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts.
While the resolution was passed by a majority vote, the opposition Congress snubbed the ruling party by pointing out that India got the presidency by rotation, and said that the BJP should not use foreign policy for its politics.
The resolution was moved by Minister of State for Cooperation Jagdish Vishwakarma on the second day of the Monsoon session.
India received the presidency of the G20 in December 2022 because of the “continuous efforts of visionary PM Narendra Modi”, it read.
“During the summit held recently in Delhi, even the US president Joe Biden said that India’s presidency has proved that the G20 is capable of solving many important issues concerning the world. The entire world is now praising India. India is entering a new era when we are already in Amrit Kaal, which is a matter of pride for both Gujarat and India,” it said.
“When the world economy is facing many challenges, such as climate change and war, PM Modi, through his strong determination, diplomacy and his image as a world leader, was instrumental in resolving many issues during the Summit through deliberations. This is indeed a matter of pride for India,” said the minister while reading the resolution further.
Senior Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia sought to “correct the record” by stating that the presidency is conferred on G20 member countries by rotation and it was India’s turn in 2022.
“Let me inform you that a country (and not its leader) becomes the president and host of G20 events. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received respect and accolades from across the world because he represents India. India did not receive the G20’s presidency because of someone’s efforts,” he said.
Congress prime ministers in the past had not only hosted but created several important blocs including NAM, SAARC and BRICS, Modhwadia said.
“When we became independent, the world was divided into two fronts. Some countries were with Russia, while some were with the United States. At that time, our prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein and President of Yugoslavia, Josip Tito came together and formed the Non Aligned Movement (NAM),” he said.
Nearly 150 nations were part of NAM under the leadership of India and Nehru, the Congress leader added.
Further, the key leaders of the two superpowers, Russia and China, did not attend the G20 Summit, he pointed out.
“In 1983, under the former PM Indira Gandhi’s leadership, a summit of 150 countries was held and leaders from 100 countries attended it. So this did not happen for the first time,” said the Congress leader.
“Don’t turn foreign policy into your party’s policy and don’t do politics over the country’s foreign policy,” Modhwadia said, adding that Modi received the world’s respect due to India’s stature.
“If some day our chief minister Bhupendra Patel becomes prime minister, he too will get the same respect,” he quipped. PTI PJT PD KRK
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