By India Today News Desk: Days after the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP government on his ongoing US visit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a veiled swipe at him. “There are sometimes things bigger than politics and when you step outside the country, I think that’s important to remember,” S Jaishankar said.
He was speaking at a diaspora event in Cape Town after attending the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers.
Rahul Gandhi, an ex-MP from Wayanad, described PM Modi a ‘specimen’ and said, “There are people in India who think they know more than God and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one such specimen. There is a group of people in India who are absolutely convinced they know everything. They think they know even more than God.”
Rahul Gandhi addressed an event ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ in the US state of California last week where he launched an attack on the BJP government on multiple fronts. Gandhi said that the BJP has captured institutions.
“They have the media. They have captured institutions. They put pressure on all the institutions. They threaten people… So, their voice is more heard,” the Gandhi scion said.
Jaishankar, in a veiled attack, said that he can talk for himself and does not do politics while travelling abroad.
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“I’m perfectly prepared to argue and argue very vigorously at home. Okay, so you will never find me wanting in that regard,” he said in response to a question,” India’s top diplomat said.
‘CERTAIN COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY’
“But I think you know, even a democratic culture has a certain collective responsibility. There is a national interest, there is a collective image. There are sometimes things bigger than politics and when you step outside the country, I think that’s important to remember,” Jaishankar said.
“So I might differ strongly with someone. I could say to you, I differ with them. But how I counter it, I would like to go back home and do it. And watch me when I get back,” he said.
Jaishankar said one part of the Indian foreign policy today is extremely focused on securing the welfare of Indian citizens abroad.
He said given the globalisation of Indians today, it is important that systems are put in place which will respond to difficult situations.
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RaGa ON MUSLIM LEAGUE PARTY
The BJP also attacked Rahul Gandhi after he referred to the Muslim League, the grand old party’s ally in Kerala, as a “completely secular party”.
“Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about Muslim League,” said Gandhi.
“Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party. Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here”æ It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad,” tweeted BJP I-T Cell in-charge Amit Malviya.
(With PTI inputs)
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