Jaishankar has turned FM into failed minister: Pawan Khera amid 'Gautamdas' row

The Congress leader was referring to Jaishankar's statement during an exclusive interview to ANI, where he said China are the bigger economy.

S Jaishankar has "changed the full form of FM from foreign minister to the failed minister", claimed Congress leader Pawan Khera amid 'Gautamdas' row.

Cornering Jaishankar for his recent statement on China, Pawan Khera said, "Jaishankar himself changed the full form of FM from foreign minister to the failed minister. The words he used like China is a bigger economy and we can't fight it etc. This is what India's foreign minister is saying."

"During Indira Gandhi's time, we took on America. Indiraji could have also said that America is a bigger economy. Let's not fight it. The same could have been said in 1962," the Congress leader said.

The Congress leader was referring to Jaishankar's statement during an exclusive interview to ANI, where he said China are the bigger economy. What am I going to do as a smaller economy? Pick up a fight with a bigger economy? It's not a question of reacting. It's a question of having common sense."

Khera was arrested on Thursday by Assam Police in connection with an FIR over his remarks, a day of high drama that began with him being deplaned from a flight to Raipur and his party leaders protesting on the tarmac.

The Congress leader, who was in the headlines this week for apparently fumbling on the prime minister's father's name during a press conference, was released on interim bail till February 28 by a Delhi court later in the evening on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Khera had referred to the prime minister as "Narendra Gautamdas Modi" while criticising the government over the row involving the business conglomerate headed by Gautam Adani.Modi's full name is Narendra Damodardas Modi, with the middle name Damodardas standing for his father's name, a common practice in many parts of the country.

The apparent flub led to strong condemnation from the BJP with its leaders accusing Khera of making fun of the prime minister and his late father.