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West Thinks It Has God-Given Right to Criticize Others: Jaishankar

Germany and the United States recently berated India's leadership after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP on being found guilty in a defamation case.
Sputnik
India's External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has criticized the West's tendency to comment on the internal matters of other countries.

"The West has had a bad habit for a long time of commenting on others,” Jaishankar said in response to a question about statements made by the US and Germany.

The Indian Foreign Minister was speaking on Sunday in Bengaluru city in the state of Karnataka.

“They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn by experience that if they keep doing this, other people will also start commenting, and they will not like it when it happens. I see that happening,” the Indian minister added.

Jaishankar's comment came after a German spokesman said that Germany “expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply” in the Rahul Gandhi disqualification case.
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Earlier, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel had the temerity to say that Washington was “watching” Gandhi’s case in Indian courts.
Jaishankar has suggested that Indians should also stop “giving generous invitations” to the rest of the world to make comments about what goes on in the country.

“You are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world, saying there are problems in India, and [urging] America and the world [by saying], why are you standing by doing nothing? So if somebody from here goes and says 'Why are you standing by and saying nothing', they are obviously going to comment. Part of the problem is them, and part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing," he added.

Gandhi, a former parliamentarian from the Wayanad district of Kerala, was disqualified as a member of parliament recently after a local court in Gujarat state sentenced him to two years' imprisonment in a 2019 defamation case.
According to Indian law, if a lawmaker (member of parliament, member of the legislative assembly or member of a legislative council), is convicted of any offense and is sentenced to two years or more, they are automatically disqualified from parliament.
Gandhi is at present out on bail and can challenge the Gujarat court's verdict in a higher court.
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