New Delhi [India], October 13 : "Our relative absence is puzzling," said senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, raising concerns over India's decision to be represented by a Minister of State in Foreign Affairs at the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, where several world leaders and heads of state will be attending.
In a post on X, Tharoor questioned whether India's representation reflected a stance of "strategic restraint or a missed opportunity" at a crucial international forum.
"India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?" Tharoor wrote.
He clarified that his remarks were "no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question," but emphasised that the scale and stature of the summit required higher-level representation from India.
"Given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey," Tharoor said.
He added that protocol and access levels could have an impact on India's weight in shaping discussions on critical issues, such as Gaza's reconstruction and long-term regional peace.
"And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling," Tharoor concluded.
His remarks followed the announcement by Kirti Vardhan Singh of his arrival in Cairo, Egypt, as the special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit.
"Arrived in the historic city of Cairo as special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh," Singh stated in a post on X.
The Gaza Peace Summit, to be held in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, comes amid the backdrop of a historic ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
The summit will bring together top global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, and other key figures from the Middle East and beyond.
All 20 living hostages were released by Hamas earlier in the day as part of the Gaza peace plan.
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