<p><!--StartFragment --></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">New Delhi: "Our relative absence is puzzling," said senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, raising concerns over India's decision to be represented by a Minister of State in Foreign Affairs at the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, where several world leaders and heads of state will be attending.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">In a post on X, Tharoor questioned whether India's representation reflected a stance of "strategic restraint or a missed opportunity" at a crucial international forum.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?" Tharoor wrote.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">He clarified that his remarks were "no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question," but </span><span class="cf0">emphasised</span><span class="cf0"> that the scale and stature of the summit required higher-level representation from India.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"Given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as </span><span class="cf0">signalling</span><span class="cf0"> a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey," Tharoor said.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">He added that protocol and access levels could have an impact on India's weight in shaping discussions on critical issues, such as Gaza's reconstruction and long-term regional peace.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling," Tharoor concluded.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">His remarks followed the announcement by Kirti Vardhan Singh of his arrival in Cairo, Egypt, as the special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"Arrived in the historic city of Cairo as special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh," Singh stated in a post on X.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">The Gaza Peace Summit, to be held in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, comes amid the backdrop of a historic ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">The summit will bring together top global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, and other key figures from the Middle East and beyond.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">All 20 living hostages were released by Hamas earlier in the day as part of the Gaza peace plan.</span></p> <p class="pf0"><em><strong><span class="cf0">(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</span></strong></em></p> <p><!--EndFragment --></p>
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