External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has taken a hit out as Western Media over “unfair” criticism of India during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
As per news agency ANI, the external affairs minister stated that Western media has been criticising New Delhi not because of the lack of information, but because "they think they are political players our elections".
Speaking at a forum of nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad, Jaishankar stated - “I get a lot of these noises from the Western press and if they criticise our democracy, it's not because they lack information. It is because they think they are also political players in our election.”
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The union minister went on to quote a recent report he had read in western media which criticised India for conducting its general elections in the heat.
"I read that article and I wanted to say, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best record," stated Jaishankar.
The external affairs minister alleged that western media is trying to play "games with India". "These are politics. These are our domestic politics which is going global, global politics which feels they must now intrude in India. How can these chaps decide who should be ruling them without consulting us?" the minister added.
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Furthermore, Jaishankar also stated that the West thinks they are part of India's electorate, adding that its time "we disabuse them and the best way that we do that, is by confidence."
"They will question your election system, your EVM, your election commission, even the weather," stated Jaishankar, urging the need to stand up and question the "attacks and criticism" thrown out by western media.
EAM Backs BJP Amid Backlash From Western Media
Citing the various reports and headlines from western media, Dr Jaishankar added that one "complaint" he read was that the BJP is "so unfair".
In response to this, the union minister highlighted India's growth in the past ten years of BJP rule, emphasising on its G20 presidency.
"When we got our G20 chair presidency, it was on December 1, 2022. I think most of the world said, you know, I don't know where you guys got stuck. You know how this is going to happen. You are going to have a really difficult time managing this. And yet, actually, when the G20 summit met, within the first day, we were actually able to forge a consensus," stated the EAM.
