Boycott Turkey-Azerbaijan Row Escalates: Congress Dares PM Modi, Jaishankar to Clarify India’s Official Stand

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New Delhi: The ongoing row over Turkey and Azerbaijan’s support to Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict has intensified into a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP, with demands for a boycott of trade and tourism with both countries now entering the national discourse.

At the heart of the controversy is a public exchange between Congress leader Pawan Khera and BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, after the latter criticized the Congress for “evading” questions about the growing calls to sever ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan. In response, Khera questioned why the BJP was deflecting responsibility on the opposition, when the matter clearly falls within the remit of the central government.

“Since this question is being raised by an office bearer of the BJP, the Prime Minister and S Jaishankar should immediately clarify if the Government of India has snapped all diplomatic and trade relations with Turkey and has also shut their embassy in India,” Khera wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The diplomatic tension follows reports that Turkey supplied drones to Pakistan, while Azerbaijan reportedly backed Turkey’s position, during the recent military flare-up triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack. These actions have prompted widespread public calls for a boycott of trade and tourism with Turkey and Azerbaijan, with many private citizens expressing their anger on social media platforms.

Sharing a video clip where Khera and Congress MP Jairam Ramesh appeared to dodge a press question on the boycott issue, Malviya lashed out at the party, saying, “The country is enraged by the support Turkey and Azerbaijan have extended to the terror state of Pakistan… the Congress party cannot even bring itself to align with the broader sentiment of the Indian people.”

He further added, “No wonder it remains so disconnected from the public. It deserves its political oblivion and complete isolation.”

Adding fuel to the political fire, Jairam Ramesh countered by raising the Modi government’s handling of China, questioning its pursuit of normalization with Beijing despite ongoing border tensions. “@PMOIndia and @DrSJaishankar should also clarify why the Modi Government has pursued normalisation with China… or indeed why the PM lied to the people of India and irrevocably hurt national interests on June 19th, 2020 by giving China a public clean chit for its encroachments,” Ramesh said.

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