New Delhi: The Singaporean High Commissioner in Delhi Simon Wong was on Thursday summoned over the “uncalled for” remarks on India by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament.
According to sources, the Singapore envoy was asked to clarify the remarks of PM Lee who had invoked India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru while arguing how democracy should work in the city-state.
PM Lee went on to add: “While Nehru’s India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder. Though it is also said that many of these allegations are politically motivated.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, attaching a video of the Singapore PM’s speech, said in a tweet: “Singapore PM invokes Nehru to argue how democracy should work during a parliamentary debate whereas our PM denigrates Nehru all the time inside and outside Parliament.”
India and Singapore share good relations. In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome. He tweeted later that he had had an “excellent meeting”.
“Had an excellent meeting with PM @leehsienloong on ways to further scale-up the friendship between India and Singapore. Our talks focused on trade, culture and other subjects,” PM Modi had tweeted.
In November last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had gone to Singapore on a three-day visit during which he called on the Singapore PM, besides meeting with his Singaporean counterpart and other senior officials.
