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Lok Sabha Election 2024: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Western media for portraying the Indian General Elections in a negative light and said that the countries which have to go to courts for their election results are giving India "gyan" (knowledge) on conducting the polls. The seven-phase Lok Sabha Elections in India are underway. Four phases of the polls have already been conducted and the results for the polls, in which over 96 crore people are eligible to vote, will be declared on June 4.

Jaishankar's stern remarks came over Western media's negative portrayal of the Indian Elections. Jaishankar 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. He further said that 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."

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"They (Western countries) do want to influence us because many of these countries feel that they have influenced this world for the last 70-80 years. Western countries actually feel that they influenced the world for the last 200 years. How do you expect for someone who has been in that position to give up those old habits so easily," Jaishankar said.

"Why these newspapers are so negative on India? Because they are seeing an India which 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 added.

Terming this as "mind game", Jaishankar took a jibe at the West and said the countries who go to court to decide election results are giving lectures to India. "They (newspapers) will reputationally damage you, somebody will bring out an index and put you down in that...Countries which have to go to court to decide the result of their election are giving us gyan about how to conduct the election. This is the mind game that is happening in the world," he said.

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He also emphasized that the Western media at times "openly endorsed candidates and political parties." "Western media in some cases have openly endorsed candidates and political parties, they don't hide their preference. They are very smart, somebody is doing this domination game for 300 years, they learn a lot, anubhavi log hain, chatur log hain (they are experienced and clever people)," the EAM said.

Further appreciating the turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections despite extreme heat, Jaishankar said, "Even in this election, I am looking at the commentary. In this country, even in the hottest summer, look at the percentage of people who come to vote." Citing an article questioning the timing of the Indian election during the heatwave, Jaishankar said, "Now I read that article and I wanted to say listen, in that heat, my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run."

 

(With ANI Inputs)