- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 13 Oct 2025 07:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to skip the high-stakes Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh has not gone well with Congress MP and chairman of the Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Shashi Tharoor, who questioned it, saying that India's presence at the level of a minister of state stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there.
In a post on X, Tharoor asked if it is a strategic restraint or a missed opportunity. He said, "India’s presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?"
As India has decided to send the MoS External Affairs Minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, to represent the nation, Tharoor clarified that his concern was not a question of Singh's competence.
He said, "This is no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question; but given the galaxy of grandees present, India’s choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey."
He emphasised that because of protocol, India's voice on crucial issues such as reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight.
"And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling", the Congress leader said.