Srinagar, April 8 National Conference (NC) MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday blamed the Modi government's foreign policy for being "untenable" in mediation efforts, as the US agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran proposed by Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters in the Budgam district in central Kashmir, Mehdi said, "Today, India has no leverage. The US chose Pakistan for the negotiations and made it a mediator when India had friendly relations with Iran. India was sidelined due to Modi's foreign policy. Today, we are isolated in the region."
The Srinagar MP in the Lok Sabha said that India's foreign policy was based on moral principles and the principle of non-alignment; however, it changed under Modi's rule.
"India's policy was against imperialism and colonialism. Even...(AB Vajpayee) used to say that the people of Palestine have the right over Palestine. India's moral stand earned it a unique position in such situations," he said.
However, "since Modi's rule, their anti-Muslim policy has not only damaged our domestic politics, but also international politics, and we are becoming weak in the region," the MP charged, referring to relations with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives.
The MP alleged that India joined the war with Israel.
"Modi went to Israel two days before the war, which was a huge mistake and shocking. The prime minister of a country like India visits Israel after the Gaza genocide for Netanyahu's government and to give him moral support when the governments across the world rejected him," he added.
Referring to the killing of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mehdi said Modi "remained silent when the Supreme Leader was killed, he did not oppose it or condemn it, it was a huge mistake".
"He (Modi) supported the US and Israel's bloodshed in Iran, but isolated the country in the region, the result of which we saw today when the negotiations took place through Pakistan and unfortunately not through our country," the NC leader said.
On the ceasefire between the US and Iran, Mehdi expressed hope that the ceasefire between the US and Iran would prevail, but added that "The US and Israel did not achieve any of the objectives it started the war for."