‘India Always Open, Welcoming’: Jaishankar Rebuts Joe Biden's 'Xenophobia' Claims

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar responded to US President Joe Biden's recent remarks suggesting that 'xenophobia' was hindering India's economic progress by stating that India has always been open and welcoming to people from diverse societies.

Speaking at a round table organised by The Economic Times, Jaishankar emphasized that India, like many other countries, provides opportunities for people in need, citing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as an example of opening doors for those facing difficulties.

"We are the most open society. To date, I have never seen such an open society, such a pluralistic society, such a diverse society, so I would say that we are actually not just not xenophobic, we are the most open, most pluralistic and in many ways, the most understanding society in the world," Jaishankar said.

"Secondly, there was some talk about economic performance, you know our GDP is at 7 per cent. You check other people's GDP, check the growth rate and you will get the answer," he added.

Jaishankar highlighted India's history of being open to people from different societies and rejected criticisms of the CAA, stating that no person has lost citizenship due to the law.

His remarks came after Biden's comments, where he suggested that xenophobia in China, Japan, and India was impeding economic growth. Biden later clarified that he was making a broader point and that he respects America's allies and partners.