Pawan Khera Takes a Dig at Ravi Shastri Over Modi Praise, Cites Manmohan Singh's 2012 BRICS Summit

A fiery political exchange erupted on Sunday after senior Congress leader Pawan Khera strongly countered former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri over his glowing public praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic achievements at the BRICS summit. Countering Shastri's assertion that bringing contemporary world leaders onto Indian soil marked an unprecedented diplomatic feat, Khera invoked historical precedent from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure, specifically highlighting the fourth BRICS summit hosted in the national capital over a decade ago under then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Ravi Shastri's Praise for PM Modi Sparks Sharp Political Counter

The controversy began when Ravi Shastri shared a statement lauding the high-profile gathering of global heads of state in India, describing the convergence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a historic milestone for Indian foreign policy. In his public remarks, Shastri remarked that such a spectacle of international diplomacy on Indian soil had never been witnessed before, offering a salute to the Prime Minister. The comments quickly drew scrutiny from opposition quarters for overlooking India's extensive history of hosting major global summits.

Khera Recalls 2012 New Delhi BRICS Summit with Hu Jintao and Dmitry Medvedev

Responding sharply to the cricketer's assertion, Khera pointed out that high-level multilateral diplomacy in New Delhi is far from novel. Khera stated that expecting Shastri to know or recall diplomatic milestones was perhaps asking too much, noting that Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev were both present in New Delhi alongside Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on March 29, 2012, for the official 4th BRICS Summit. Sharing an archival photograph from the 2012 deliberations featuring Dr. Singh with fellow world leaders, the Congress leader further questioned the origins of Shastri's statement, alleging that promotional messaging was being actively coordinated through officials within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).