On May 7th, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by saying that Rahul was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador. Jaishankar responded to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of PM Modi’s handling of relations with China, stating ‘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.’ Jaishankar referred to Rahul’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador during the Doklam crisis and criticized the government for losing new territory to China’s salami slicing. Jaishankar emphasized that ‘very misleading narratives are put in’ and pointed out some cases where the media had misreported.
Jaishankar highlighted the importance of a serious China conversation that moves beyond a ‘slanging match.’ He stated, ‘I do not necessarily attribute political colouring to it. I would like to see is actually a serious China conversation. I’m prepared to accept that there are different viewpoints on that.’ He also criticized Rahul Gandhi for admiring the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and not speaking out about the BRI going through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which violates India’s national integrity and sovereignty.
This is not the first time Jaishankar has criticized Rahul Gandhi’s comments on China. He had previously criticized Rahul Gandhi in March at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi. ‘When Panda huggers try to be China hawks… it doesn’t fly,’ Jaishankar said, referring to Rahul Gandhi’s admiration for the Belt and Road Initiative.
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