Congress leader Sam Pitroda urged the Centre to put greater emphasis on talking to the neighbours. He pointed out that India's external affairs should begin with building up the neighbourhood, including Pakistan.
"Our foreign policy, according to me, must first focus on our neighbourhood. Can we really substantially improve relationships with our neighbours?... I've been to Pakistan, and I must tell you, I felt at home. I've been to Bangladesh, I've been to Nepal, and I feel at home. I don't feel like I'm in a foreign country..." Mr Pitroda said.
The comments precipitated a quick response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which charged Congress with undermining the nation's interests.
"Rahul Gandhi's blue-eyed boy & Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda says he 'felt at home' in Pakistan. No wonder UPA took no tough action against Pak even after 26/11. Pakistan's favourite, Congress's chosen!" said BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
Sam Pitroda, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a technocrat confidant of then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has also been a long-time counsellor of the Gandhi family. His recent statement is added to a litany of offensive foreign policy remarks on which the BJP has invoked Congress on national security issues time and again.
Previous this year, in February, when tensions with China were running high, he caused controversy by stating that India exaggerates the threat from Beijing. In an interview with IANS, he stated that India needs to stop perceiving China as an enemy and use a more collaborative strategy.
"I don't understand the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the US has a tendency to define an enemy. I believe the time has come for all nations to collaborate, not confront. Our approach has been confrontational from the very beginning, and this attitude creates enemies, which in turn garners support within the country. We need to change this mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy from day one," Mr Pitroda said.
His remarks were made after he was asked if the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and US President Donald Trump would be able to sway China. India had then officially turned down Mr Trump's proposal to broker the border conflict with Beijing.
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