'PM Modi Doing Event Management Only': Cong Accuses Govt Of Using G20 To Run 'Election Campaign'

Congress accuses govt of using G20 for "election campaigns". Congress Gen Sec Jairam Ramesh cites G20's history, alleges diversion from issues in India's turn to host summit.

The Congress party on Saturday (August 19) levelled allegations against the government, asserting that the forthcoming G20 meeting in India is being exploited as an "election campaign" tactic. In a Hindi post, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The G20 was formed in 1999. Its members include 19 countries and the European Union. Since its inception, the G20 summit has been held in 17 different countries. It is now India's number."

"However, the prevalent election campaign and the concerted efforts to create such an atmosphere are unprecedented. No other country has taken such drastic measures. It appears that these actions are intended to divert citizens' attention away from critical issues," Ramesh asserted.

Ramesh emphasised India's previous successful hosting of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1983, as well as the Commonwealth countries' summit in New Delhi. In those cases, the government avoided using the platforms to gain political advantage.

"In retrospect, I recall L K Advani's statement on April 5, 2014, where he portrayed Narendra Modi as a remarkable event manager. It appears that the Prime Minister is presently more focused on event management to divert public attention," Ramesh accused.

The G20 member states collectively account for approximately 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of global trade, and around two-thirds of the worldwide population. The member countries encompass Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).

As the incumbent president of the G20, India is preparing to host the upcoming summit in New Delhi next month.

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Ramesh Accuses Delhi Police of Constricting Access to 'We20' Summit

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed his concerns about the ongoing 'We20: Peoples' Summit on G20' on X. According to Ramesh, the Delhi Police prevented attendees from attending the summit organised by activists from the 'We, The People' movement.

The summit, which has attracted over 500 economists, activists, journalists, and politicians from across India, aims to provide an alternative perspective to the opulence surrounding India's upcoming G20 summit.

Ramesh said: "It is extraordinary that Delhi Police is stopping people from attending the We20 meeting organised by activists representing We, The People, inside a building that belongs to the CPM. The meeting is perfectly peaceful. There are no street protests. I managed to enter at 10:30 am before Delhi Police started its operations but had difficulty exiting now. This is New India Democracy."