Joe Biden calls India 'xenophobic,' Jaishankar responds
Joe Biden calls India 'xenophobic,' Jaishankar responds
04 May 2024
India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, has countered the claims made by United States President Joe Biden that India is "xenophobic."
To invalidate Biden's label, he cited the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
He said that the policy demonstrates India's welcoming nature in a conversation with the Economic Times.
Jaishankar's defense of India's economic performance
Economy
"India is always...has been a very unique country...I would say, in the history of the world, that it's been a society which has been very open...different people from different societies come to India," he said.
"I think we should be open to people who have the need to come to India, who have a claim to come to India," he added.
He also blasted Biden's remarks that India's economy was faltering, saying, "First of all, our economy is not faltering."
Jaishankar addresses ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations on US university campuses
Campus protests
Additionally, Jaishankar addressed the ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations on university campuses in the United States and criticized a segment of the Western media for its biased coverage.
He described it as "extremely ideological" and, in no way, "objective."
He stated that this section of the media seeks to control the global narrative and has targeted India as well.
What did Biden say
Biden
Addressing supporters at the Democratic Party fundraiser last week, Biden said, "This election is about freedom, America, and democracy. That's why I badly need you. You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants."
"We look to — the reason — look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic."
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