India's MEA urges restraint after Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Italian PM

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has urged political leaders to exercise restraint and maintain diplomatic decorum following controversial remarks made by Congress leaders regarding Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The controversy arose during a Congress event where Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, suggesting it relies too heavily on personal gestures like hugging foreign leaders. During the exchange, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit jokingly asked Gandhi if he was hugging him thinking he was Meloni, to which Gandhi responded, “I have not reached that stage yet.”

The remarks sparked intense criticism from the ruling BJP, with leaders accusing the Congress of being disrespectful to a foreign female head of state and undermining India’s international standing. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India and Italy share strong, expanding ties and stressed the importance of mutual respect to preserve bilateral relations.