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S Jaishankar on Asianet News Samvad: 'India has a PM who is willing to do what needs to be done'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while interacting with Suvarna News Editor-in-Chief Ajith Hanumakkanavar during a special edition of 'Asianet News Samvad', made it clear that he would not have joined politics had any leader other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him.

S Jaishankar on Asianet News Samvad India has PM who is willing to do what needs to be done
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Bengaluru, First Published Aug 14, 2022, 3:17 PM IST

In Narendra Modi, India has a Prime Minister who is clear, who is deeply nationalistic, who is willing to do whatever needs to be done to secure the interests of the country, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while speaking to Asianet News Network. 

Interacting with Suvarna News Editor-in-Chief Ajith Hanumakkanavar during a special edition of 'Asianet News Samvad', Jaishankar said it was a combination of factors like leadership and leadership style of working that gives the country clarity while taking a stand on global issues like the Ukraine crisis.

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"I have been in the foreign policy business for 45 years. I have seen a lot of governments and a lot of change in this period. Yes, it is a combination of factors, but if you ask me what really makes a difference, I would say it is leadership," he said.

"If you have a Prime Minister who is clear, who is deeply nationalistic, who is willing to do whatever needs to be done to secure the interests of the country, it makes a very big difference. His working style is also such that he has a view; he has an understanding of global politics -- that strategic perspective. He gives you the space to implement that. So it is both leadership and leadership style of working," he added.

S Jaishankar on Asianet News Samvad India has PM who is willing to do what needs to be done

Recalling his association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar said: "I first met him when I was ambassador in China. This was 11 years ago. Next time, I was ambassador in Washington. He had just become Prime Minister (the famous Madison Square Garden visit). I worked for three years as a foreign secretary. The difference between being an ambassador, a foreign secretary and a minister is that when you are in cabinet or politics or a parliamentary party, you have an insight into the political and social dynamics -- what actually drives thinking. There are aspects of the Prime Minister and his political thinking which I would not have got had I not joined politics."

Jaishankar made it clear that he would not have joined politics had any other leader invited him. He said, "Nobody in my family had been in politics. It never occurred to me. There are people who have ambitions. I never had. I joined because, at that point in 2019, I felt it was important if I could strengthen his hands in some way."

"I know many of the other Prime Ministers, some of whom I highly regard. I had a degree of both faith and comfort, which was needed for me to take that plunge. I am not sure I had that with anybody else," he added.

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