India lodged a protest with the Singapore high commission over PM Lee Hsien Loong’s comments on criminal charges against Indian lawmakers. During a debate in Parliament, the PM also invoked Jawaharlal Nehru while driving home his point about how democracies should work and how many political systems today would be unrecognisable to their founding fathers.
It is learnt the Indian foreign ministry raised the issue with the Singaporean high commissioner in a meeting. Official sources said the remarks were “uncalled for.” Congress quickly latched on to Lee’s remarks saying while the first Indian PM continues to inspire world leaders even today, PM Modi “denigrates” him inside and outside the Parliament.
Lee had said, “Many political systems today would be quite unrecognisable to their founding leaders. Ben-Gurion’s Israel has morphed into one which can barely form a government, despite four general elections in two years. Meanwhile, a stream of senior politicians and officials in Israel face a litany of criminal charges, some have gone to jail. While Nehru’s India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder. Though it is also said that many of these allegations are politically motivated," Lee said.
The 70-year-old PM said each succeeding generation must protect and build upon the system that Singapore has inherited.
