Cape Town. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that certain things are ‘beyond politics’ when a person goes outside the country. Jaishankar’s comments came after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government several times during his US visit.
Addressing an event for overseas Indians in Cape Town after attending the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, Jaishankar said he can talk about himself and does not do politics while traveling abroad.
In response to a question, the foreign minister said, “Look, I have said that I can only speak for myself. I try not to do politics when I go abroad.” He said, ‘I am ready to debate strongly in my country.’
He continued, ‘But I think you know, even a democratic culture has a certain collective responsibility. There is a national interest, a collective image. Sometimes there are bigger things than politics and I think it’s important to remember that when you step outside the country.
‘So I can strongly disagree with anyone,’ said India’s top diplomat. I can say, I am different with them. But how can I resist it, I will go back to my country and do it again.
It may be noted that earlier this week, while addressing Indian-Americans in Santa Clara, USA, former Congress Party president and ex-MP Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Modi and also attacked his government’s policies on various fronts.
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Tags: Rahul Gandhi, S Jaishankar
First Published: Jun 04, 2023, 06:35 IST
