Tharoor said that the EAM mentioned the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name 10 times during her address while she spoke about India only five times. Sushma Swaraj mentioned PM Modi 10 times, spoke about India only 5 times in her UN speech: Shashi Tharoor attacks BJP again

New Delhi: In yet another attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that one cannot hide behind the flag and use the international organisation as a political platform.

He added that the EAM mentioned the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name 10 times during her address while she spoke about India only five times.

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor said, "Bit rich to be criticised by the BJP for describing @SushmaSwaraj’s UN speech as a campaign speech. She mentioned @narendramodi 10 times during her address & spoke about/ on behalf of India only 5 times. If you use the @UN as a political platform you can’t hide behind the flag."

Strengthening his attack, the Congres leader questioned if it was a UN speech or BJP slogans. "Most of the first half of the @SushmaSwaraj speech was devoted to plugging @narendramodi's vision for "New India": SwachhBharat, SwasthBharat, SamarthBharat, SurakshitBharat, ShikshitBharat, ViksitBharat, UrjawanBharat, ShaktimanBharat. Was this a @un speech or BJP slogans?" Tharoor said in another tweet.

Earlier this week, the Congress leader had attacked Swaraj over her UN speech, claiming that her address at the international platform failed to construct a positive and constructive image of India in the world.

"We get the sense that everything is about the political environment in India and this was a speech aimed at BJP voters and sending a message to them particularly on the subject of Pakistan rather than constructing a positive image of India in the world," Tharoor had said.

Addressing the General Debate of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, Swaraj on Saturday listed the various development programs undertaken by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, melding them with the United Nations sustainable development goals.

In her speech, the EAM also came down heavily on Pakistan for glorifying terrorists and providing them with a safe haven. She said that the neighbouring country's commitment to terrorism as an instrument of official policy has not abated one bit.