External affairs minister S Jaishankar has criticized Western media for their alleged tendency to interfere politically in India’s elections. Speaking at a forum for nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad, Jaishankar said, “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.”
Jaishankar’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the role of foreign media in shaping public opinion in India. Critics have accused Western media outlets of bias and of promoting narratives that undermine India’s sovereignty and stability. The government has also taken steps to regulate the activities of foreign media in India, including requiring them to register with the government and to disclose their sources of funding.
The minister’s comments have sparked a debate about the role of Western media in India and its impact on the country’s democratic processes. Some argue that Western media outlets are entitled to criticize Indian democracy, while others believe that such criticism is often biased and uninformed. The debate is likely to continue as India grapples with the challenges of maintaining its independence and sovereignty in the face of globalization and the increasing interconnectedness of the world.
