Back‘You weren’t nice guys in movie’: Jaishankar's RRR jibe at former British PM Tony Blair
The Union Minister was talking about the complexities around the India-UK relationship during annual Raisina Dialouge in New Delhi
PremiumTelugu film ‘RRR’ continue to remain in limelight with references around the movie echoing in power circles now. During the Raisina Dialogue 2023, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar took a humorous jibe at the colonial era and told the former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair “...if I put it delicately, you weren’t the nice guys in the movie", evoking laughter from the audience.
The Union Minister was talking about the complexities around the India-UK relationship while discussing ‘Leadership In The Age of Uncertainty’, with Tony Blair, and former England men’s cricket team captain, Kevin Pietersen.
After S Jaishankar's jibe, the former England skipper tried to remain out of the situation and jokingly asked, “Can I sit here as a South African?"
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair talked about India being a bigger economy than the UK to which Jaishankar responded by saying that it's “rebalancing."
“...I’d call it rebalancing. It's history switch-hitting...India in a very unusual position, once more decisively upwardly mobile which a lot of other civilizational states aren't in a position to do," the minister made further comments.
The minister also talked about the downsides of the complex history. When you have such a complex history, “there would be a downside of it, there would be suspicions, unresolved problems," Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar also explained the functioning of the Indian government with an analogy around cricket. "With Captain (PM) Modi the net practice starts at 6 in the morning and goes on till fairly late...He expects you to take that wicket if he gives you the chance to do it," the minister said.
The Raisina Dialogue brings together policymakers, business leaders, academicians, and opinion makers from around the world to discuss key issues and challenges facing the international community. It covers a range of themes and topics, including global governance, emerging technologies, climate change, terrorism and extremism, maritime security, and regional security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
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