New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s witty response to a rapid fire question at an event has gone viral.
Mr Jaishankar was given two high-profile names between which he can choose should he decide to have dinner with one of them.
“One person you wish to have dinner with – Kim Jong-Un or George Soros?” the presenter said.
Jaishankar responded, “I think this is Navratri, I am fasting.”
The audience and the presenter then broke out in laughter.
George Soros is a controversial figure in India, with the right wing accusing him of funding anti-India elements and supporting regime change across the world to push the West’s agenda.
The External Affairs Minister is known to give sharp responses to difficult questions on the world stage. His comments on why India continued to import oil from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, much to the West’s chagrin, had silenced critics.
India’s total purchase of oil from Russia in a month is probably less than what Europe does in an afternoon, Mr Jaishankar had said in April 2022.
“I noticed you refer to oil purchases. If you are looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe. We do buy some energy, which is necessary for our energy security. But I suspect looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon,” Mr Jaishankar told a reporter when asked about India’s oil purchase from Russia.