NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assailed the Opposition on Thursday for disrupting his statement in Rajya Sabha, saying they claim to be 'INDIA', the name of their alliance, but if they are not prepared to listen about India's national interests then what kind of India are they.
Jaishankar spoke suo moto in the House to brief members about the successes of India's foreign policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits abroad amid continuous disruption by opposition members in the House. He said it was extremely unfortunate that the opposition had prioritised "partisan politics", describing it as a very state of affairs.
It is not just a government's achievement but an achievement for the country, he said.
Noting that India's president and prime minister have received the highest honours from other countries, he said, "If you cannot respect the president, cannot respect the vice president, cannot respect the prime minister, if you won't allow the foreign minister to make a statement in the House; then it's a very sorry state of affairs."
In matters of national interests, politics should be set aside, he said.