Former PM MM Singh’s criticism of foreign policy clearly a political message

New Delhi, Feb 17: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday termed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s criticism of the government’s foreign policy as “clearly a political message and not a policy one”. To the former PM saying that the Modi government has failed on the foreign policy front and that its relations with neighbors and old friends are getting spoilt, the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “We saw it a while ago. From my perspective, this is a purely or clearly a political message, and not a policy one. So, I think from my position here I would not like to get into that. “Of course, as regards China, the facts of the matter are clear; I don’t need to reiterate them, we’ve been discussing about the processes of the conversation with China and how the situation has arisen; and repeatedly we’ve said that. “On the other issues it’s a clearly a political message and not a policy one; and so I don’t think I should dwell on that,” the spokesperson added. Former PM Manmohan Singh, in a video message criticized the Modi government on several fronts, including on foreign policy. Commenting on the India-China border situation, Manmohan Singh said the government has failed on the international policy front. “China is sitting on our land, and government is silent about it. Our old friends are drifting away, and our relations with neighboring countries are getting spoilt,” he said. “I hope the government will understand diplomacy is not done by forcefully hugging people, riding a swing with them, or by visiting them uninvited,” Singh said