PM Modi Recommends Book On JFK's Foreign Policy As Homework To Opposition MPs, Takes Dig At Nehru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday suggested Lok Sabha Members of Parliament add JFK's Forgotten Crisis to their reading list, a book by US foreign policy expert Bruce Riedel on key diplomatic and political emergencies during John F. Kennedy's presidency. His recommendation came with a pointed dig at India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

During his speech on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address, Modi invoked Nehru while responding to criticism of his government's handling of the India-China border dispute. He claimed the book exposes "what games" Nehru played with national security, particularly in his dealings with the US during the 1962 India-China war.

"If someone is really interested in foreign policy, they should read JFK's Forgotten Crisis," he said. "It details how India's first PM, who also held the Foreign Affairs portfolio, handled a crisis situation and what conversations he had with JFK."

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, however, questioned the relevance of Modi's recommendation.

"I read Riedel's book seven years ago. It mentions that during the 1962 war, the US secretly helped India. It also states that we had sought assistance because our position in the war was weak," Tharoor told NDTV.

The reference to India's historical conflict with China came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of ceding 4,000 sq km of territory to China. "The PM denied it, but the Army contradicted him… China is sitting on our land," Gandhi claimed, triggering sharp protests from the ruling party. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later dismissed the allegations, asserting that India had not lost any territory.

Taking aim at Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Modi referenced allegations that the Delhi Chief Minister spent Rs 45 crore of taxpayer money on luxury renovations to his official residence. He also attacked the Congress over its long-standing 'Garibi Hatao' (eliminate poverty) slogan, arguing that despite decades in power, the party had failed to deliver. In contrast, Modi said his government had lifted 25 crore people out of poverty in just a decade.