Jaishankar doubles down on western media's 'noises on Indian democracy'

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar slammed Western media over their critical coverage of the Indian democracy, saying that games are being played with us.

Addressing a forum for nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Jaishankar talked about various reports from Western media that mention the so-called democratic backsliding in India.

He said that they criticise Indian democracy because they think they are also political players in our election and not because they lack information.

"I get a lot of these noises from the Western press and if they criticize our democracy, it's not because they lack information. It is because they think they are also political players in our election."

Citing an article he read in the Western media, Jaishankar said that they stated that in such a heatwave in India, why are they holding elections?

"Now I read that article and I wanted to say listen, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run," Jaishankar said.

"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?" he said.

Jaishankar asserted, "They (West) actually think they are part of our electorate", adding, "I think it's time today that we disabuse them and the best way that we do that, is by confidence."

He emphasised the need to stand up to these kinds of attacks and criticisms and rankings and reports because they will question everything.

"They will question your election system, your EVM, your election commission, even the weather," he said.

"And one complaint is...BJP is so unfair, BJP thinks it's going to win very big," he said, adding that, in a kind of way, today, we are at a very important inflection point.

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