Congress Leaders Dodge Turkey Boycott Question in Press Conference

Congress Leaders Pass the Mic on Turkey Boycott

Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera found themselves in hot water after a video went viral showing them awkwardly passing a microphone back and forth during a press conference. The question they were trying to avoid? Whether or not the Congress party supports a boycott of Turkey.

The video, shared by BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya on X, quickly sparked criticism. Malviya accused the Congress party of being out of touch with the public sentiment calling for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan, who have been supporting Pakistan amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

In the video, Khera and Ramesh can be seen visibly trying to dodge the question. After multiple mic-passes, Khera finally took the mic and said they would comment on it soon.

Congress Shifts Blame to the Government

Later, both Khera and Ramesh shifted the blame to the government, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to clarify India’s stance on Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Khera questioned why the government hasn’t severed diplomatic and trade ties with Turkey and whether they have closed the Turkish embassy in India. He emphasized that the decision on foreign relations should come from the government, not the opposition.

Ramesh echoed this sentiment, reminding the government of their own handling of China-India relations, particularly the 2020 border clash and the subsequent normalization of ties with China despite continued territorial disputes.