New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he is habitual of criticising the country and making comments on domestic politics whenever he goes out of the country and that taking national politics out of the country is in the national interest.
Addressing a press conference on nine years of Narendra Modi government's foreign policy, Jaishankar refuted Gandhi's allegations about democratic institutions getting weakened in the country. He also expressed confidence that BJP will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "Rahul Gandhi is habitual of criticising the country and making comments on our politics whenever he goes out of the country. The world is looking at us and what are they seeing? Elections are held, sometimes one party wins and some other times the other party wins. If there is no democracy in the country, such a change should not come. Results for all elections should be the same. 2024 ka result toh wahi hoga, hamein pata hai...," Jaishankar said. The minister said that Rahul Gandhi expects that outside support will work in India.
"If you see, all this narrative (against the government) has been made in India. If this narrative does not work in India or gets less attention in the country, then this narrative is taken outside. He expects that outside support will work in India," Jaishankar said.
"We have democracy in the country, I will have something, you will have something. You will have some politics while we will have some politics. I have no objection to whatever he does inside the country but I don't think taking national politics out of the country is in the national interest. I don't feel it will increase his credibility," he added. Addressing the Indian diaspora earlier this week during his visit to United States, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that there is an attack on the democratic structure of the country.
"Full-scale attack on our institutions, on our judiciary, on our media and it is your responsibility and our responsibility to defend the idea of India," he said.
Rahul Gandhi also alleged that BJP and RSS leaders do not talk of future and talk "about the past and will always blame somebody else for the past".
During his visit to South Africa earlier this month, Jaishankar had taken a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the US, saying that he refrains from indulging in politics when he goes abroad and will argue "vigorously" on his return to India.
"I may differ strongly with someone but how I counter it ... I would like to go back at home and do it. And watch me when I get back," he had said while interacting with the Indian diaspora during his visit to Cape Town to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
—ANI