"There is an International Khan Market Gang as well": Jaishankar on anti-India narrative set in foreign countries
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New Delhi, May 25: Taking a swipe at the anti-India narrative set in foreign countries, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that just like the 'Khan Market Gang' in India, there is also a global extension of it, like the 'International Khan Market Gang'.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Jaishankar said,
“In the country today, there is a certain thought process, or entitlement process, which the metaphor of 'Khan Market Gang' is a very good description. I want to tell you there is an international Khan Market Gang as well. These are people, who are sort of linked to entitled people out here. They are socially comfortable with them, they know them, they feel like them."
Further taking a jibe at the anti-India ecosystem, the EAM said,
“When the sales are down in the domestic Khan Market, the International Khan Market gang feels like, I need to pep up these guys and give them support and you can actually see which stories they play up, how do they slant things and in previous elections perhaps even in this one they've actually openly endorsed parties and will openly endorse leaders and openly said that this party or this leader is bad for India."
Jaishankar also claimed that attempts are being made to influence the choices of voters.
“I believe it is election influence certainly...And it's not just them, you know, there's a... See, it's a... press, university, think tank, and in some cases maybe some degree of officialdom at some kind of medium level because the guys up there are very smart. They don't get into this. So there is a very clear attempt being made, a very persistent attempt being made to actually influence the direction of Indian politics and the choices of the Indian voter," he said.
Asked if his ministry gets riled up over editorials, Jaishankar said it is their job to contest, convince and communicate. "I don't think we get riled up. But it is our job to contest, to convince and where necessary to communicate. If somebody, some newspaper or some medium whatever you know has a narrative and that narrative is unfair, if that narrative is untruthful, and we often encounter this, if it is very, very slanted, I do not think we should hesitate to call it out," he said.
He also rebuffed the allegations by Congress and other Opposition parties that the BJP government is "against the Constitution", highlighting that it was the Congress party under whose rule, around 80 amendments were made to the Constitution.
"Constitution does not provide for faith-based reservation. You are actually implementing and advancing faith-based reservations, and then you are saying I have respect for Constitution...this is against the Constitution....80-odd amendments were done to the Constitution by whom, by the Congress party," Jaishankar further added.