Modi likely to cut down on foreign visits in 2016, will only fulfil prior commitments

In his first 19 months in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited 33 countries around the world. However, he is unlikely to travel much in 2016. The Prime Minister's Office has indicated that the PM will cut down on foreign tours and only fulfil prior commitments.

The PM will only attend important international summits and visits which will play a part in boosting India's trade ties.

In the year gone by, opposition parties have repeatedly targeted the PM for his extensive foreign trips and questioned as to what has India achieved from them. Congress has been making stinging attacks dubbing Modi as an "NRI PM" for his successive foreign trips.

"What is the outcome of PM trips abroad? Over Rs 200 crore of public money have been spent on the PM's trip abroad, what is the result of these visits", party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.

"Our NRI PM has gone again on a foreign trip for self promotion and selfies," Surjewala said while Modi was out of the country during his trip to the United States of America. He also questioned Modi over the promises that the PM made of billions of dollars of investments that would come for India.

"The sum total of Mr Modi's diplomacy is zero nothing comes out of his visits except some chest thumping here and there. And accepting that people of India are rejecting him so may be his hunger for crowds abroad is what takes him out of the country so often," Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi also focussed on the outcome of Modi's visit to the neighbouring countries. “He first visited Nepal and today Nepal is raising its voice against us in the United Nations. He had initiated talks with Pakistan and they are firing canons at the borders. He has a special kind of interest in America, the same nation is stating that there are violations of Human Rights in India," Alvi said.

Alvi further alleged that the crowd during in Prime Ministers Modi’s international rallies were ‘gathered’. “This has become the habit of the Prime Minister whichever country he visits he gathers the crowd and deliver his speeches. People understand now that this crowd is manipulated and this further degrades the level of respect against him," he said.