India summons Singapore envoy over PM Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks in Parliament

Lee Hsien Loong LAW INSIDER

Munmun Kaur

Published On: February 18, 2022 at 12:15 IST

Ministry of External Affairs has summoned Singapore’s envoy to India – Simon Wong over the controversial remarks made by the country’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament on February 16.

Invoking Jawaharlal Nehru’s name to argue how a Democracy should function, Prime Minister Loong remarked that the leaders, who fought for and won independence, are often exceptional individuals of great courage, immense culture, and outstanding ability.

They came through the crucible of fire and emerged as leaders of men and nations. He went on to say that almost half of the lawmakers in Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them including charges of Rape and Murder and that there was a decline in the country’s Democratic polity from “Nehru’s India”.

As per the sources, days later from the controversial speech of Singapore’s PM Loong, the Ministry of External Affairs conveyed to Singapore’s envoy that the “Remarks by the Prime Minister of Singapore were uncalled for”.

In his almost 40 minutes long speech, Prime Minister Loong talked about how a Democratic system needs lawmakers with integrity invoking India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to stress how democracy should work in the city-state.

Talking about the situation in Singapore, PM Loong said that Singapore’s Democracy can mature, deepen and grow more resilient, as both the governed and the governing embrace and express the right norms and values.

He added “Singapore can continue to flourish. But if we allow ourselves to slacken – loosen standards here, just a bit; overlook a lie there, just this time – the virtuous cycle will stutter and start to fail”.

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