“Have every right to comment on your comment,” EAM’s reply to US leaders’ comments on India’s democracy

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, highlighted the need for mutual respect and boundaries in international diplomacy, particularly between democracies, during a recent discussion on India-US relations at the Carnegie Endowment office in Washington, DC.

During his fireside chat with Carnegie’s President Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuellar on Tuesday, when asked about US leaders commenting on India’s democracy, Jaishankar stated, “And my personal view, which I have shared with many counterparts, is, look, you have every right to comment. But I have every right to comment on your comment. So don’t feel bad when I do.”

Further, Jaishankar acknowledged the globalised nature of politics, where countries’ internal issues can have international implications. “The world is very globalised,” he noted. “As a result, the politics of any country doesn’t necessarily stay within the national boundaries of the country, adding that “Now, the United States, of course, makes a special effort to ensure it doesn’t. That’s part of how you’ve conducted your foreign policy over many years.”

Jaishankar’s comments come amid ongoing discussions on the US-India relationship. He emphasised that foreign interference is a critical concern and stated, Foreign interference is foreign interference.

“But if you look at a state-to-state, government-to-government level, we think it’s important that democracies are mutually respectful. It cannot be that one democracy has a right to comment on another, and that’s part about promoting democracy globally,” he said.

“But when others do that, then it becomes foreign interference. Foreign interference is foreign interference, irrespective of who does it and where it is done,” he added.

During his hour-long engagement at Carnegie, Jaishankar also addressed pressing global issues, including the war in Ukraine, the prospect of an “Asian NATO,” and the future of Taiwan. He fielded questions on India’s neighbourhood policy and the government’s relationship with the Indian diaspora.

EAM paid a visit to the Carnegie Endowment office in Washington to take part in a fireside chat with Carnegie’s President Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuellar.

Jaishankar’s visit to Washington comes on the heels of last week’s Quad Summit and a spate of high-level meetings coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a renowned global think tank based in Washington, DC. The organisation focusses on advancing international peace, security, and global governance.