New Delhi: The Congress chided Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breaking protocol to personally welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to India who “pledged $20 billion to Pakistan.” Prince Mohammed, who came to India a day after his visit to Pakistan, was received Modi with a warm hug. The Crown Prince had flown back to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan before coming to India. He visited Pakistan days after a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber attacked a CRPF convoy on February 14, killing 40 soldiers.

"Breaking protocol, grand welcome to those who pledged $20 billion to Pakistan and praised Pakistan's 'anti-terror' efforts. Is it your way of remembering [the] martyrs of Pulwama?" Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted on Wednesday.

India also maintained a studied silence on the Saudi-Pakistan joint statement that has Saudi Arabia lauding Pakistan’s “achievements and sacrifices” in the war against terrorism, and a call for avoiding the politicisation of the UN listing regime.

Randeep Surjewala also tweeted a joint statement by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and said the latter has "virtually" rejected India's appeal that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, be designated a global terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations.




Surjewala asked Prime Minister Modi if he would "show courage" to ask Saudi Arabia to withdraw the statement.

India is among Saudi Arabia’s eight strategic partners with whom it wants to strengthen its ties in politics, security, trade and investment and culture. The other countries include China, Japan and South Korea in Asia, the US, besides three from Europe.

India is likely to raise the issue of Indian prisoners lodged in jails in Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, MBS announced the immediate release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia.