“They Won’t Say Christian Nationalist…”: S Jaishankar Jabs Foreign Media

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reprimanded foreign newspapers for reserving adjectives like “Hindu nationalist” for the Indian government.

“If you read foreign newspapers, they use words like Hindu nationalist government. In America or Europe, they won’t say Christian nationalist… these adjectives are reserved for us. They don’t understand that this country is ready to do more with the world and not less with the world,” said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar was in Pune for the release of his English book “The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World,” which has been translated into Marathi as ‘Bharat Marg’.

The Marathi version of Jaishankar’s book was released by Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.

Jaishankar said he is proud of it and doesn’t think there is anything to be apologetic.

“If you look at the last 9 years, there is no doubt that government and politics of the day are more nationalistic…I don’t think there is anything to be apologetic about it. The same nationalist people have helped countries abroad and moved forward in disaster situations in other countries,” he said.

Notably, there is a row over the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ‘The Modi Question.’

India on Thursday denounced the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described it as a “propaganda piece” designed to push a discredited narrative.

Addressing a weekly media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said this documentary show, based on some internal UK reports, shows the colonial mindset.

“We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and the lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are belatedly visible,” Bagchi said in response to the question on the PM documentary series.

UK’s National broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series on PM Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat’s Chief Minister. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms.

“So if you read next time in a foreign newspaper because they always, foreign newspapers, they like using words like Hindu nationalist comment, okay?” Jaishankar said.

“So next time you read it, ask yourself, how wrongly are they reading me that they actually do not understand that this country is getting ready to do more with the world, not less with the world,” he advised.

The EAM said that everyone in the country is connected with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during India’s G20 Presidency.

“We want to show the world this G20 will have 200 meetings. Through these 200 meetings, we want to show the world, please, world, come to see India. See the changes in India, see how much enthusiasm and positive sentiment there is for the world in India,” said Jaishankar.

He also took a dig at Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi while referring to China.

“Why doesn’t opposition talk about areas occupied by China in 1962….They never talk about that?” adding, “I won’t go to the Chinese ambassador to get inputs, but my military leadership.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)