WEBDESK: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is setting off on a 5-nation diplomatic tour from 2nd July to 9th July. Modi’s lavish tour is already facing fierce criticism from opposition parties, civil society groups, and even former diplomats who question its purpose, cost, and timing.
The tour will reportedly include stops in Russia, Austria, Qatar, Brazil, and South Africa. However, many are calling Modi’s lavish tour an unnecessary, image-boosting exercise while India continues to suffer on multiple fronts. Detractors have branded it a “farewell world tour,” accusing the Prime Minister of abandoning urgent domestic matters for personal photo-ops abroad.
India in Crisis, Modi in Denial
Back home, the country is struggling through a string of serious issues record-breaking heatwaves, deepening agricultural distress, an underperforming job market, and alarming data privacy failures connected to welfare schemes. Critics say Modi’s lavish tour highlights his misplaced priorities and obsession with global stage appearances while India’s common citizens battle daily hardships.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate slammed the move, saying, “At a time when India’s farmers are protesting, inflation is crushing the middle class, and exam scandals have shattered youth confidence, what business does the PM have globe-trotting like a celebrity on a farewell concert?”
While the Ministry of External Affairs insists the trip aims to strengthen strategic and economic relations, many political observers claim Modi’s lavish tour is more about polishing his personal legacy than delivering genuine diplomatic outcomes.
A retired Indian ambassador, requesting anonymity, stated, “You don’t build serious diplomatic ties in week-long speed-dating summits. This looks like an image exercise — photo-ops, handshakes, and staged farewell moments.”
The financial burden of Modi’s lavish tour has also become a point of contention. Though official costs are rarely disclosed in advance, international visits of this scale demand heavy logistical and security expenses. In a nation still economically reeling post-pandemic and where public hospitals lack basic oxygen cylinders, many are questioning whether taxpayers should fund these extravagant foreign excursions.
Civil rights activist Kavita Krishnan criticised the move, declaring, “He’s flying around the world, while government hospitals don’t have oxygen cylinders. Is this the ‘vikas’ we were promised?”
Adding to the frustration, no clear briefing has been provided by the Prime Minister’s Office or the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the actual purpose or agreements of Modi’s lavish tour. As with many of Modi’s ventures, transparency remains missing.
Opposition MPs are now demanding that the Prime Minister appear before the Lok Sabha to explain the purpose and expected outcomes of Modi’s lavish tour, especially as the nation inches closer to the 2026 general elections.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra remarked, “The Prime Minister should not be globe-trotting when Parliament is in session. We expect accountability, not absenteeism.”
