"We Aren't Perfect, But...": S Jaishankar On Claims Of Democracy Sliding In India

"I'm not saying we're perfect. But I would say, please look at their motive and their agenda," S Jaishankar said on foreign media.

Hitting out at sections that have talked of democracy indicators sliding in India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that there is no need to necessarily take what comes in the foreign media at face value and that there are "multiple standards" that are practised.

In an interview with ANI, Mr Jaishankar said that in one of the chapters in his new book 'Why Bharat Matters', he has talked of Prime Minister Narendra Modi feeling "the need for a new construct" after the BJP-led government came to power in 2014.

Asked about articles in foreign media about assertive India at one level and, at another, of democracy-indicators sliding, Mr Jaishankar said he had made some references to "democracy narrative" and that is also a "mind game".