Centre objects to Singapore PM's comments on Indian lawmakers, summons envoy

The Singapore PM had invoked Jawaharlal Nehru while highlighting how democracy should work in the city-state during a debate in Parliament

The government on Thursday summoned Singapore's envoy to New Delhi to the Ministry of External Affairs and lodged a protest after the city state's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong lauded Jawaharlal Nehru, and said that half of the parliamentarians in “Nehru's India” had criminal charges pending against them.

Simon Wong, High Commissioner of Singapore to India, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where senior diplomats conveyed to him New Delhi's displeasure over the comment made by the South East Asian nation's Prime Minister.

Lee referred to India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru while delivering a speech in Parliament of Singapore on Tuesday. He also referred to Israel's founder and first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. He was articulating how the leaders like Nehru and Ben Gurion laid the foundations of their respective nations.

Also Read | Singapore PM invokes Jawaharlal Nehru to argue how democracy should work during a parliamentary debate

New Delhi took exception to the remarks by Lee in Parliament of Singapore on a day former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh slammed his successor Narendra Modi's government for continuing to blame Nehru, who was Prime Minister of India since the country's independence in August 1947 till his death in May 1964.

“Most countries are founded and start off on the basis of high ideals and noble values. But more often than not, beyond the founding leaders and the pioneer generation, over decades and generations, gradually things change,” Lee said on Tuesday during a debate in Parliament on the report by the Committee of Privileges on complaints about untruths told by Singapore's former Workers’ Party lawmaker Raeesah Khan.

"Things start off with passionate intensity. The leaders, who fought for and won independence, are often exceptional individuals of great courage, immense culture, and outstanding ability. They came through the crucible of fire and emerged as leaders of men and nations. They are the David Ben-Gurions, the Jawaharlal Nehrus, and we have our own too,” he said.

“But beyond that initial fervour, succeeding generations often find it hard to sustain this momentum and drive”.

“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,” the 70-year-old Prime Minister of Singapore said.

He, however, also added that many of the allegations against the members of the Lower House of Parliament of India were said to be “politically motivated”.

The MEA officials conveyed to the High Commissioner of Singapore to India that the remarks by the South East Asian nation's Prime Minister was “uncalled for”.

Lee did not refer to Modi's performance in leading the Government of India during his speech, despite well-known personal friendship between the two leaders.

Modi has been repeatedly criticising Nehru ever since he succeeded Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister in May 2014. He recently quoted from a speech Nehru had delivered during his term as the Prime Minister, accusing him of giving up on inflation. He quoted Nehru stating that Korean War and disturbance in the US could cause inflation in India.

“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 the Parliament,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted on Thursday, referring to Lee's speech in Parliament of Singapore.

The MEA summoned Singapore's envoy to New Delhi a few hours later.

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