Renowned Chinese scholar Prof Cheng Xizhong has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent provocative and inflammatory remarks against Pakistan at a rally in Gujarat have seriously violated the United Nations Charter and are a dangerous escalation.
Prof Cheng Xizhong, who is also Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, in a statement issued in Beijing said, “I believe that Modi’s words are mainly due to domestic political considerations. At present, there is a situation of inflated domestic economic data in India, and the public’s attention to the border conflict has decreased. The Modi administration is facing strong domestic governance pressure.”
He said that the Indian Prime Minister attempts to shape a strong image by making the tough statement, diverting domestic attention from economic and other problems, covering up military failures, consolidating his political position, and using extreme nationalist sentiment to gain support from domestic voters.
In terms of diplomacy, Modi attempts to boost his influence in South Asia by exerting pressure on Pakistan and demonstrating a tough stance in regional affairs. In addition, Modi’s tough rhetoric is also aimed at cooperating with Indian diplomatic missions visiting multiple countries to show the “victory” of the aggressive operations, attempting to make the outside world believe that India has the upper hand in the confrontation with Pakistan and pave the way for subsequent diplomatic efforts, he added.
Prof Cheng said that obviously, Modi’s provocative and inflammatory remarks have seriously violated the United Nations Charter and are a dangerous escalation. Modi’s tough remarks have intensified tensions between India and Pakistan, making the situation in South Asia even more unstable. This could lead to an escalation of military confrontation between the two sides in the border areas, increasing the risk of a new conflict and posing a serious threat to regional peace and stability. Especially India’s announcement to cease the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty is a declaration of war against Pakistan.
It is worth noting that, despite repeated expressions of willingness from the Pakistani side to resolve bilateral issues, including Kashmir and the Indus waters, through peaceful negotiations with India, Narendra Modi once again openly shows off military strength and calls for a war, which goes against the international community’s efforts to promote peace talks, he added.