NEW DELHI, July 1: The Congress party on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his upcoming five-nation tour, accusing him of “running away” from pressing national issues including the ongoing crisis in Manipur, recent defence revelations, and controversial claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Prime Minister Modi is set to embark on an eight-day diplomatic visit beginning July 2, during which he will attend the BRICS Summit in Brazil and hold bilateral engagements in Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, and Namibia. However, Congress alleged that the timing of the tour raises serious questions about the Prime Minister’s priorities.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh dubbed Modi the “Super Premium Frequent Flier PM” and said, “When the going gets tough, the self-styled toughs get going.” Ramesh claimed the PM is fleeing from four major issues that have gripped the nation.

Leading the list is the situation in Manipur, where ethnic violence has continued for over a year. “The Prime Minister has not visited Manipur even once since the breakdown of law and order. His silence and absence speak volumes,” Ramesh stated.

The Congress leader also referred to remarks allegedly made by India’s defence attache in Indonesia regarding “reverses” suffered by Indian forces during the initial days of Operation Sindoor. Ramesh claimed these setbacks were due to “poor decision-making at the top,” though the Indian embassy in Jakarta has since clarified that the remarks were taken out of context and misrepresented in the media.

Additionally, Ramesh pointed to repeated claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan using a trade deal as leverage. Congress questioned why Modi has not officially addressed or refuted those claims.

Lastly, the party criticised the Modi government’s failure to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack to justice even after 70 days, alleging that the same group may have been involved in earlier attacks in Poonch, Gagangir, and Gulmarg.

Despite these attacks, the Ministry of External Affairs has outlined an ambitious itinerary for the Prime Minister. His trip will begin in Ghana (July 2–3), followed by Trinidad and Tobago (July 3–4), Argentina (July 4–5), and Brazil (July 5–8) for the 17th BRICS Summit. He will conclude his visit in Namibia before returning to India.