Jairam Ramesh on PM Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad, 18 June, 2014

And read what Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has to say about Narendra Modi’s foreign policy and cabinet choices:

“Mr Modi in many ways is like Mr Nixon who opened China to America. Modi could become India’s Nixon when it comes to China or Pakistan,” Ramesh said in an interview. “If we had invited Nawaz Sharif we would have been criticised for feeding him biriyani. But there is exchange of saris and shawls (now).Had Dr Manmohan Singh done something pragmatic, BJP would have pounced on him. But if Mr Modi does something pragmatic we are not in a position to pounce on him.”

Ramesh said, “It is inconceivable in Congress that first-time MPs like Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharminder Pradhan, Piyush Goyal or Smriti Irani can become ministers independently handling major ministries.”I became minister of state, then minister of state with independent charge and then full minister. I worked up the ladder, I was 50 years when I became MoS and people said I was young”.