New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for travelling to countries across the world and receiving the “highest awards” there. The Ministry of External Affairs has called Mann’s comments “irresponsible” and “unwarranted”.
“PM has gone somewhere. I think it is Ghana. He is going to be back and he is welcome. God knows which countries he keeps visiting, ‘Magnesia’, ‘Galveaisa’, ‘Tarvesia’. He does not stay in a country with 140 crore people. He is visiting countries where the population is 10,000 and he is getting the ‘highest awards’ there. Here, 10,000 people gather to watch a JCB,” Mann said while speaking to media persons in Chandigarh.
The Ministry of External Affairs took exception to the comments, with official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responding with an official statement.
“We have seen some comments made by a high state authority about India’s relations with friendly countries from the Global South. These remarks are irresponsible and regrettable and do not behove the state authority. The Government of India disassociates itself from such unwarranted comments that undermine India’s ties with friendly countries,” Jaiswal said in response to Mann’s comments.
Modi has just returned from a 5-nation tour that began on 2 July. The Indian Prime Minister travelled to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia.
Four of the five nations—Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and Namibia—all conferred their highest civilian awards on Modi. Since returning to power for a third term in June 2024, Modi has received 13 awards from countries across the world including the Order of St. Andrew from Russia, the Order of Freedom from Barbados and the Order of Mubarak the Great from Kuwait in recent months.
In 11 years in power, Modi has been conferred 27 international honours from across the world, including North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, West Asia and South East Asia.
The Indian leader has visited at least 78 nations in roughly 90 foreign trips since assuming power in 2014. He is further expected to travel to the UK from 23 July till 25 July, before travelling to Maldives to be the chief guest at their Independence Day celebrations on 26 July.
The Indian leader has faced criticism from domestic opponents.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, too, welcomed the return of Modi from his five-nation trip, calling the Indian Prime Minister a “super premium frequent flier” leader.
“Now that he is here, he could find the time to visit Manipur where the people have been awaiting him for more than 2 years; review why the Pahalgam terrorists have yet to be brought to justice; reflect on infrastructure collapses in his home state; and sanction assistance to Himachal Pradesh that has been devastated by floods,” said Ramesh in a post on the social media platform X.
“He could also, for a change, chair an all-party meeting to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament,” added the Congress leader.
The Monsoon session of the Parliament is set to begin on 21 July, 2 days before Modi’s expected trip to the UK to sign the free trade agreement.
As a part of his trip to Ghana and Namibia, Modi attempted to pitch India as an alternative partner for African nations to China. Beijing has made deep inroads into the continent with large investments and loans over the last two decades.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: UPI to Ayurveda, PM Modi’s Ghana visit will unlock new trade frontiers for India
