Congress hits back at EAM Jaishankar over 'blasphemous' statement on Indian economy

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday slammed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his remarks in an interview a day earlier that India is the smallest economy as it amounts to stating that China is a bigger economy and India cannot go and pick up a fight with it.

"What exactly does he mean? Is he telling us that we are not capable of protecting our territorial sovereignty; we are not being able to look up to China and ask them questions? What exactly is he trying to do? Because what he is trying to do, is essential break and shake the confidence of our Indian economy and demeans the valour of our armed forces," asked Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate.

She told a press conference here that "people, who are standing at the border and defending our territorial integrity, do not need to be told that we are the smaller economy and they are the bigger economy and shouldn’t we pick up a fight with them. What exactly does he mean?

'Blasphemous statements'

"This is one of the most blasphemous statements made by any Foreign Minister," she said.

On Jaishankar claiming to be the longest-serving diplomat and the longest Indian ambassador in China, Shrinate said, "He should better tell in that capacity as to when will status quo ante be restored of April, 2020 and why do the Prime Minister and you stay quiet on China?

"Why have we increased the trade deficit to a hundred billion dollars? We are almost funding the Chinese army to do the incursions that they do."