External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has slammed Western media for their tendency to criticize India’s democracy, highlighting their tendency to perceive themselves as political actors in our elections and not because they lack information.
Speaking at a forum for nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad, EAM Jaishankar said, “I get a lot of these noises from the Western press and if they criticise our democracy, it’s not because they lack information. It is because they think they are also political players in our election.”
Jaishankar’s comments come amid growing criticism of Western media coverage of India, which has been accused of being biased and inaccurate. Indian officials have also accused Western media of interfering in India’s internal affairs and of promoting anti-India narratives.
In his speech, Jaishankar also defended India’s human rights record, saying that the country has a strong commitment to protecting the rights of its citizens. He also said that India is a “vibrant democracy” with a free press and an independent judiciary.
Jaishankar’s comments are likely to further strain relations between India and the West, which have been strained in recent years over a number of issues, including trade, climate change, and human rights. It is also likely to fuel the debate over the role of Western media in covering India and other developing countries.
