'West thinks it's God-given right': Jaishankar slams US, Germany for commenting on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification

Jaishankar said the West thinks it has a "God-given right" to comment on internal matters of other countries.

He said, "It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening."

"We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India," the minister added.

The External Affairs Minister made the comment at a 'Meet and Greet' event organised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs PC Mohan and Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Rahul had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Purnesh Modi, had claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.

A Surat court convicted Rahul to a two-year jail imprisonment. He is presently on bail.

After he was convicted, the Congress leader was disqualified by Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha.

The US had said it is watching Rahul Gandhi’s case and that it engages with the Indian government on the commitment to democratic values and freedom of expression.

Indian-American State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel has said, "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we’re watching Mr. Gandhi’s case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values – including, of course, freedom of expression.

"In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies."

Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in reference to the case, said, "We have taken note of the first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate.

"To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict, it will then become clear whether the verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis.

"We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi."