Foreign Minister Jaishankar explains to Rahul Gandhi after his jibe at PM Modi
NEW DELHI : The Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Friday explained in details the foreign policy of India to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after his comments on nation’s geopolitics.
Stepping up his attack on the government over the LAC standoff, Gandhi earlier issued a video message alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “indiscretions” have weakened the country and left it vulnerable.
In his 3 minut 38 second video message posted on Twitter, he hit out at the government saying that over the last six years, India has been “disturbed and disrupted” with regard to its foreign policy and economy. “Since 2014, the PM’s constant blunders and indiscretions have fundamentally weakened India and left us vulnerable. Empty words don’t suffice in the world of geopolitics,” the Congress leader had tweeted.
Speaking on India’s ties with China, Jaishankar asserted that India engages with China on more equal terms politically and told Gandhi to ask the analysts. “Our major partnerships are stronger and international standing higher.
Witness regular summits and informal meetings with the US, Russia, Europe and Japan. India engages China on more equal terms politically.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the Foreign Minister said, “Rahul Gandhi has questions on Foreign Policy. Here are some answers” and gave a point by point explanation on India’s ties with other countries. “And address the border infrastructure imbalance legacy. Compare 2014-20 with 2008-14. Budget up by 280%, road building by 32%, bridges by 99% and tunnels by 6 times. Ask our Jawans,” he tweeted.
” The Hambantota Port agreement between Sri Lanka and China was concluded in 2008. Ask those who dealt with it. Difficult ties with #Maldives, after India watched President Nasheed being toppled in 2012, now stand transformed. Ask our businesses,” he also tweeted.
“A settled land boundary (2015) with Bangladesh; opens a path to more development and transit. And terrorists no longer find safe haven there. Ask our security. Nepal after 17 years is getting Prime Ministerial visits. And a swathe of developmental projects: power, fuel, housing, hospital, roads, etc. Ask their citizens,” he further tweeted.
“Bhutan finds a stronger security and development partner. And unlike 2013, they don’t worry about their cooking gas. Ask their households. Afghanistan sees completed projects (Salma Dam, Parliament), expanded training and serious connectivity. Ask the Afghan street,” he said.
“And Pakistan (that you skipped) surely notes the difference between Balakot & Uri on the one hand and Sharm-el-Sheikh, Havana & 26/11 on the other. Ask yourself,” he concluded.
“What is it about India’s situation that has made China act in such an aggressive way? What is it about this moment in time that has allowed the Chinese to have the confidence that they can move against a country like India?” Mr Gandhi said in video in which he hit out at the Narendra Modi government.
“Since 2014, the PM’s constant blunders and indiscretions have fundamentally weakened India and left us vulnerable. Empty words don’t suffice in the world of geopolitics”wrote on Twitter. “A country is protected by its foreign relationships, it is protected by its neighborhood, it is protected by its economy, it is protected by the feeling and vision its people have. What has happened over the last 6 years…in all those areas India has been disturbed and disrupted,” Mr Gandhi said.
He said India’s relationship with other countries has become “transaction”. We have a transactional relationship with the US, and we have disturbed our relationship with the Russians. We have a transactional relationship with Europe,” he said.
“Earlier, Nepal was a friend.Bhutan was a friend, Sri Lanka was a friend. Our neighbourhood, other than Pakistan, was working with India and saw itself as being partnered with India. Today, Nepal is angry with us. If you go to Nepal and speak to the Nepali people, they are furious with what has happened,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“Sri Lankans have given a port to the Chinese… So we’ve disrupted our foreign partners, we’ve disrupted our neighbourhood.” Indian and Chinese troops have agreed to a mutual disengagement along the LAC in Ladakh. Each side has pulled back by two kilometres.
(With Agency Inputs).
