Western Media Thinks of Itself As A Part of Indian Elections: Jaishankar Hits Back

New Delhi; India's external affairs minister and BJP leader Dr S Jaishankar slammed the western media outlets over their recent criticism of India's democractic structure. Jaishankar said that western media outlets  have been critical of India as they think of themselves as a political player in the ongoing Indian elections. Jaishankar said that it was not the case that the western media is unaware of democratic values or they lack information on India. 

“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,” said Dr Jaishankar while addressing a forum for nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad. 

Jaishankar said that these are a kind of game which is played with India as the “West actually think they are part of our electorate,” adding that its high time that Indians must disabuse them. He called it an intrusion into India's domestic affairs. "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?" said the External Affairs Minister. 

Election in Summer: Jaishankar Takes a Jab 

Further, Jaishankar recalled an article by Western press which questioned- Why is India holding general elections in such a weather? The article cited ongoing heat wave in India as a base to question the timing of Lok Sabha 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. "I think it's time today that we disabuse them and the best way that we do that, is by confidence." EAM emphasised the need to stand up to these kinds of attacks and criticisms and rankings and reports because they will question everything.