Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, dismissing it as “selfies, headlines & bhakts clapping.”
Tagore questioned the outcome of India’s participation, pointing to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir immediately after the summit. He alleged that the development highlighted Beijing’s strategic tilt towards Islamabad, potentially undermining India’s position.
In a post on X, the Congress MP wrote: “Modi sahib went to SCO for ’56-inch diplomacy’. Next day? Xi Jinping meets Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir. Xi knows the difference: Modi = photo-ops & speeches. Pak Army = real power & strategy. Modi’s SCO visit outcome? Selfies, headlines & bhakts clapping. Meanwhile, China-Pak axis just got stronger.”
He further claimed the timing of Xi’s meeting was “deliberate,” aimed at signalling China’s geopolitical priorities. “While Modi manages events, Beijing manages geopolitics,” Tagore said, adding that India’s foreign policy under Modi had been reduced to “event management.”
The 25th SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, held in Tianjin, discussed global governance, regional security, and economic cooperation. Prime Minister Modi also held a warm bilateral exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a ride together in Putin’s Aurus Senat limousine.
At the summit’s conclusion, member nations adopted the Tianjin Declaration, condemning terrorism and reaffirming collective commitment to countering extremism.
