Jaishankar Counters Biden's 'Xenophobic' Comment: 'India is Always Open and Welcoming'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday, refuted recent assertions by US President Joe Biden that 'xenophobia' was a barrier to India's economic development, as the country, among others, is perceived to be unwelcoming to immigrants.

During a roundtable discussion hosted by The Economic Times, Jaishankar emphasized that India has consistently been "open and welcoming" to individuals from various cultures.

To substantiate his point, Jaishankar pointed out that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), enacted by the Central government, offers opportunities for "people who are in distress".

"We have the CAA to open doors for people who are in distress. I believe we should be receptive to individuals who need to come to India, who have a right to come to India," Jaishankar stated.

Jaishankar further insisted that India's economy was not in decline.

"India has always been a unique nation. In fact, throughout world history, it has been a society that has been very open. People from various societies come to India," he remarked.

The foreign minister also criticized those who opposed the CAA.

"There are individuals who have publicly stated on record that due to the CAA, a million Muslims will lose their citizenship in this country. Why aren't they being held accountable?" he questioned, adding that no individual has lost citizenship as a result of the law.

Jaishankar's comments came in response to US President Joe Biden's recent claim that "xenophobia" in China, Japan, and India was hindering their economic growth, while emphasizing the positive impact of immigration on the US economy.

"Why? Because we welcome immigrants. We look to -- the reason -- look, think about it. Why is China's economy stagnating so badly? Why is Japan struggling? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants," Biden had stated at a fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign.

"One of the reasons why our economy's growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants," he added.

In the wake of Biden's remarks, the White House initiated damage control, clarifying that the US President was making a "broader point". White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre affirmed that America's allies and partners "know very well" the extent of Biden's "respect for them".