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S Jaishankar gives curt reply to Japanese journalist on Russia-Ukraine war query
S Jaishankar in Tokyo emphasised the need for a reform in the United Nations Security Council.
Replying to a query linked to India not criticising Russia over the Ukraine war, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India's territory has been occupied by another country but the world has maintained silence over the matter.
In an apparent jibe at the western countries, S Jaishankar said people tend to cherry-pick principles when it suits them and ignore when it doesn't. S Jaishankar is currently touring Japan.
A Japanese journalist asked S Jaishankar whether India's decision to not criticise Russia over the latter's territorial violation of Ukraine, should be construed as “double-standards”.
"My position would be that the world is a complicated place, and there are many important principles and beliefs in the world. What happens sometimes in world politics is that countries pick one issue, one situation, one principle, and they highlight it because it suits them. But if one looks at the principle itself, we in India know better than almost any other country because immediately after our independence, we experienced aggression, we experienced an effort to change our boundaries," S Jaishankar said.
"And even today, parts of India are occupied by another country. But we did not see the world response saying, oh, there's a great principle involved, and therefore, let us all go with India. Yes, today we are being told that there are principles involved. I wish I'd seen that principle in play for the last 80 years. I've seen those principles cherry-picked when it suits people and not when it doesn't suit people," he added.
S Jaishankar on UNSC
In the same interview, S Jaishankar emphasised the need for a reform in the United Nations Security Council.
"Most of us actually understand that there is a great need to reform the United Nations. When the United Nations was founded, there were roughly about 50 countries who were members. Today there are almost 200 countries that are members. So in any organization, if the membership has grown four times, the leadership and the decision-making of that organization cannot remain the same," he said.
S Jaishankar, in an apparant reference to China, said those opposed to change have found a way to delay it.
"We are seeing today the problem when there is inadequate...If you look today at the dynamism of Asia, the demographics of Asia, I think there's a very strong case as well. So these discussions are going on. We felt that in many ways, the discussions have not progressed because those who are opposed to any change have found ways of delaying it," he said.
China is the only permanent member of the UNSC which is opposed to India's entry into the panel.
S Jaishankar on Indian politics
S Jaishankar also responded to a query on whether he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections or not. He is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament.
"You make your political decision based on what the party leadership decides. So I just got re-elected to the upper house (Rajya Sabha) last year. My membership of Parliament is secure. Beyond that, that is not really a question I can answer," he said.
S Jaishankar has been vociferously defending buying cheaper oil from Russia, contending that India reserves the right to do what is best for its people.
Earlier this, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov lauded India's stand on buying Russian oil despite intense pressure from western powers.
“My friend, foreign minister Subramanyam Jaishankar, was once at the UN, giving a speech. He was asked why they started buying so much oil from Russia. He advised them to mind their own business and reminded them at the same time how much oil the West had started buying and continued to buy oil from the Russian Federation. This is national dignity,” Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying by Sputnik news agency.
With inputs from ANI
