Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has highlighted the blurred line between foreign and domestic policies under PM Modi’s regime, stating that even diplomatic issues have emerged as talking points during the general elections.

Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar has said that in PM Modi’s regime, the line between foreign and domestic policies has blurred, implying that even diplomatic issues have become a talking point among the citizens during the general elections.

In an interview with the Hindustan Times, the minister said, “I have gone to about nine or 10 states during the elections, and I almost invariably get a set of questions on foreign policy. So I think somewhere it has seeped into people’s consciousness. What has seeped into it? One is a sense of pride about where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the country. Two, an understanding that some danger outside, it could be a pandemic, it could be terrorism, will not stay outside, and will come home”.

Jaishankar cited India’s purchase of Russian oil to back his statement on how India’s foreign affairs are significant to the citizens.

“If you look at something like, (India) buying Russian oil, at the end of the day for the consumer, it is domestic policy, because it’s what you pay at the petrol pump,” Jaishankar said.

He drew attention to the BJP’s election manifesto, which gave “much  more space to foreign policy than we have ever given before.” Jaishankar pointed out that during his election visit to states, he always got a “set of queries from the public about foreign policy.”

Recently, Jaishankar slammed the Western media over the “negative” coverage of Indian elections. 

Taking a swipe, he said the Western countries “feel” they have influenced the world for the last 200 years, so they are not able to give up their “old habits so easily.”

He said that the Western media want a certain “class of people” to rule the country and feel “disturbed” when the Indian electorate doesn’t feel the same way.

Why these newspapers are so negative on India? Because they are seeing an India that is not in a sense compliant with their image of how India should be. They want people, ideology, or a way of life, they want that class of people to rule this country, and they are disturbed when the Indian population feels otherwise,” Jaishankar said.