The situation in Sri Lanka, which is grappling with economic and political crises was “sensitive and complicated”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday.
“Support of India is for the people of Sri Lanka as they are our neighbours and we want to help them go through a very difficult phase in their lives,” he said at a “Meet the Press” programme organised by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists here.
Coming down heavily on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Jaishankar, who is a on a three-day visit to the state, said that the ministers of the Narendra Modi cabinet were working as a team and that his inspection of the Kazhakootam flyover was not unusual.
He was responding to Vijayan’s jibe earlier in the day that the “busy” External Affairs minister was in the state and inspecting the national highways.
Jaishankar said that regarding Covid, railways, and education, the ministers of the Modi government was working as a team and making decisions jointly.
“We call this development while some others call it politics. Those who think on development lines and above politics understand this,” he said.
He said that most of the time during his visit was spent evaluating the Central government projects and assistance, and if evaluating the number of electricity connections at homes under central assistance and projects in colonies can be termed as politics, “then it was the attitude of those who take it in that way”.
Jaishankar also said that the central agencies that were probing the gold smuggling case will definitely bring out the truth in the matter. He said that the matter was sub judice and that he was not commenting on it but added that the truth would come out in the issue.
Asked about the Kerala opposition leaders’ demand for a CBI investigation into the gold smuggling case, Jaishankar said that the case was not a political issue as discussed in Kerala but a diplomatic issue between two nations, and proper action would be taken at the right time.
