New Delhi, June 8 (Representative) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said it is the ‘habit’ of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to ‘criticise’ the country whenever he visits abroad, and added that it is not in the national interest. The statement of the EAM came days after Rahul, while addressing the Indian diaspora in New York, US, had alleged that there is an “attack” on the democratic structure of our country by the BJP-led government. “It’s his (Rahul Gandhi’s) habit, whenever he goes abroad, he criticises the country,” Jaishankar said, in response to a question, as he addressed a press conference here on the completion of nine years of the BJP government.
The EAM said, “A narrative is being built in the country, when it ‘fails’ (in India), then it is taken abroad. He expects outside support.” “I don’t have any problem with what he (Rahul Gandhi) does in the country. But, I don’t think taking the country’s politics outside is in our interest,”Jaishankar said. In a veiled attack on the Opposition over its allegation that the ‘democracy’ is under threat under the ruling dispensation, the EAM said, ” The world is watching us. They are seeing elections are being conducted. Sometimes one party wins, sometimes the other party wins. If there is no democracy in India, such a change would not have happened . Every election and the results would have been the same.”