Congress today sought to take the sheen out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address to a joint session of US Congress, wondering why the American Senate failed to recognise India as a "global strategic and defence partner".
Party's senior spokesman Anand Sharma also accused Modi of attempting to mislead the country on the issue of India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Talking to reporters, he wondered as to why the US Seate failed to recognise India as a "global strategic and defence partner" when the Prime Minister had claimed his visit to America a success and his address to US Congress being hailed by his admirers.
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Sharma claimed that not even 50 Congressmen were present when Modi addressed the US Congress and a "lot of invitations" were given to NRIs for the function. "Let US Congress publish the names of those who attended...", he said.
Reports from Washington had it that the US Senate has failed to recognise India as a "global strategic and defence partner" of the US after a key amendment necessary to modify its export control regulations could not be passed.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address to a joint session of Congress, top Republican Senator John McCain had moved an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA-17) which if passed would have recognised India as a global strategic and defence partner.
The US had recognised India as "major defence partner" in a joint statement issued after Modi held talks with President Barack Obama which supported defence-related trade and technology transfer to the country which would now be treated on par with America's closest allies.
On the issue of India's entry into the NSG, he said Modi should "not mislead" the country as there is a "long list" of countries which have fully endorsed India's entry to the group much earlier.