'First of all...': Jaishankar corrects Joe Biden after he calls India 'xenophobic'

On Joe Biden’s ‘xenophobia’ remark, Jaishankar said the Indian society has been “very open”

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar has referred to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to correct United States President Joe Biden over his “xenophobia” remark on India. Responding to Joe Biden and rejecting his remarks on the country, Jaishankar has said that Indian society has been “very open in the history of the world”.

Speaking at an ET Roundtable, Jaishankar said, “First of all, our economy is not faltering…India is always… India has been a very unique country… I would say actually, in the history of the world, that it’s been a society which has been very open… different people from different societies come to India.”

Citing CAA, Jaishankar said, “That’s why we have the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), which is to open up doors for people who are in trouble… I think we should be open to people who have the need to come to India, who have a claim to come to India.”

WHAT DID JOE BIDEN SAY?

Joe Biden on Friday hailed the American acceptance of immigrants, saying it was the reason for its economic growth while taking examples of the “xenophobic” countries that are “stalling so badly economically”. One of the countries he named was India.

“One of the reasons why our economy’s growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Joe Biden said at a Washington fundraising event, adding, “Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong.”

In simpler terms, xenophobia means “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign” you have come in contact with, according to Merriam-Webster.

Meanwhile, Japan, too, has rejected Joe Biden’s remarks, calling the characterisation “unfortunate” and misguided. In response, Tokyo on Saturday said it was “unfortunate that comments not based on an accurate understanding of Japan’s policy were made”, according to a government statement.