Ozi Indian
A day after India beat tough odds to pull off a consensus at the G20 meeting over the global challenges, BJP appeared to be setting the stage for showcasing the success as a major achievement of the Modi government.
On Sunday, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief JP Nadda hailed the government’s diplomatic feat saying it had given an unprecedented boost to India’s geopolitical stature under the stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering speculation whether the G20 Leaders’ New Delhi Declaration would be used as a poll plank.
BJP has consistently talked about the rise in the country’s profile under PM Modi as one of its important achievements. But the success of the G20 summit has given the claim a heft and the party may wheel this out as one of its key planks in the coming state elections and in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The consensus even on the most complex part of the Declaration – Russia-Ukraine war – has also been acknowledged by opposition leaders, including former diplomat and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor though attributed the success largely to Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 sherpa. “Well done Amitabh Kant. Looks like the IFS lost an ace diplomat when you opted for the IAS… A proud moment for India at G20!” he posted on X. He also praised the management of the event, saying that the G20 presidency of India made it a people’s G20 with over 200 events in 58 cities.
