‘If we have a good guest …’: Jaishankar’s sharp dig at Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto | India News
[ad_1]
“He (Bilawal Bhutto) spoke about our policies, Kashmir issue, BBC documentary, G20 and all, except the finer details of the meeting,” Jaishankar said during an interactive session on ‘Foreign Policy of Modi government’ in Mysuru.
“If we have a good guest, I am a good host,” the minister quipped, suggesting that Bhutto was perhaps not one.
Jaishankar also lashed out at Pakistan over its support to terrorism, saying that it not only “conducts terrorism but asserts its rights to do so.”
“It’s not in our interest to be locked in a perpetual hostility with Pakistan, nobody wants that … but somewhere we have to draw and stand by our red lines,” he said, adding that “if a neighbour attacks my city, ambushes my military … I dont think it should be business as usual.”
During Bhutto’s visit to India, Jaishankar slammed the visiting Pakistani foreign minister for raking up issues like Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370.
In a hard-hitting attack on his Pakistani counterpart, Jaishankar had said that as a “promoter, justifier and a spokesperson” of the terrorism industry, his position on the menace was called out at the SCO meeting on Friday.
On Bhutto Zardari’s comments on tackling terrorism, Jaishankar said Pakistan’s credibility in dealing with is depleting even faster than their forex reserves.
02:08
Watch: EAM S Jaishankar greets Bilawal Bhutto but avoids handshake at SCO summit in Goa
Asked whether there could be talks between India and Pakistan on combating the menace, the external affairs minister said, “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism.
Jaishankar also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will” always be part of India.
‘With nice people you are nice …’
During the session, Jaishankar also reacted to former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan lauding India for its independent foreign policy.
“I think there are moments when it is, as I said, with nice people, you are nice. With difficult people, sometimes it’s necessary to push back. But I would say this because this has been my experience in the last year,” said Jaishankar while taking questions on former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan playing his speeches and lauding India.
At a Lahore rally last year, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan praised India for its independent foreign policy and played out a video clip of EAM Jaishankar.
“India and Pakistan got independence at the same time, if New Delhi can take a firm stand and make their foreign policy as per the needs of its people then who are they (Shehbaz Sharif’s govt) who are toeing the line,” Imran had said at the rally.
“It’s sometimes you’re made to sit and almost hold it saying, how can India do this? How do you take this position? At that stage you ask yourself saying, what do you do? Do you then be conciliatory or do you put your point of view across? And if somebody is being very self-centred, they’re only looking at their interest, their point of view, not by rights. Tell them that there are other points of view and there are other interests, etc,” said Jaishankar.
‘Rahul taking classes on China from Chinese ambassador’
Jaishankar also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador.
The attack was in response to Rahul repeatedly raising questions over the government’s handling of the Chinese aggression along the LAC.
“I would have offered to take classes on China from Rahul Gandhi but I discovered he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador,” he said, referring to the Wayanad MP’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador to India during the Doklam crisis.
“I know everything in politics is political. I accept that. But I think on certain issues, we have a collective responsibility to at least behave in a way that we do not weaken our (India’s) collective position abroad to do what we have seen in the last three years in China,” Jaishankar said, adding, “often very misleading narratives are put in.”
(With inputs from ANI)
#good #guest #Jaishankars #sharp #dig #Pakistan #foreign #minister #Bilawal #Bhutto #India #News
