Shashi Tharoor: External Affairs minister's speech 'disappointing'

Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has described the speech by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UN General Assembly "disappointing" and said it "failed" to project India's "constructive and positive image."

In a hard-hitting retort to Pakistan, Swaraj had said India has made many efforts to hold talks with Islamabad and the only reason New Delhi has called off dialogue is because of Pakistan's behaviour.

Pakistan's commitment to terrorism as an instrument of state policy has not abated one bit, Swaraj told world leaders at the UN on Saturday and asked them how India can pursue talks with a nation that "glorifies killers" and allows the Mumbai attack mastermind to "roam free" with impunity.

Tharoor alleged that the speech was aimed at BJP voters.

"We get the sense that everything is about the political environment in India. And this was a speech aimed at the BJP voters and sending a message to the voters particularly on the subject of Pakistan rather than projecting a constructive and positive image of India in the world."

To that degree, it was a "disappointing" speech, he said.

"I think some of the things Sushmaji said one can fully appreciate and welcome. But some of the statements were disappointing," he said.

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