MUMBAI: Maharashtra requires a govt that is on the same page as the Centre, in which the country as well as the world will repose faith, said external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Reiterating govt’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, he said, “When we talk of zero tolerance against terror, it is clear that when somebody does something, there will be a response.”
On the India-China border standoff, Jaishankar said the two countries would go back to the arrangement that existed in April 2020 along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. “We expect to return to pre-Oct 31, 2020, patrolling arrangements in areas like Demchok and Depsang. This will take some time,” he said.
Jaishankar was on a visit to Mumbai on Sunday. Addressing a press conference at BJP’s Mumbai office in Dadar, he said a double-engine govt is required as Centre works at the international level enhancing India’s image while the state govt works at the ground level. “PM Modi works very hard attending international investment conferences and when the investments come to the country, the state govt plays a role. Success depends upon state govts being positive, sincere partners,” he said.
On the opposition’s charge that investments coming to Maharashtra were being taken to Gujarat, Jaishankar said federal competition for investments is in the country’s interest, adding that not all investments that came to the country went to Gujarat. “The investor makes his own assessment and when he sees a performing govt, he goes there. One needs to see which govt was there (when investments went out of the state). Everyone needs to think of their performance,” he said.
He said India-Middle East Economic Corridor connecting to Europe is one of the most talked-about connectivity corridors today. “Maharashtra, given its geography, will be at the centre of it,” he said, highlighting the importance of the Vadhavan port.
On the India-China border tensions, Jaishankar said the disengagement of the two armies is the first step in ending the four-year-long standoff in Ladakh. “We expect our two armies at Depsang and Demchok to return to their earlier positions,” he said, adding that the de-escalation, as both armies are heavily armed, will not happen until India is sure that the same is happening on the other side as well.
On countering terrorism, he said Mumbai is a symbol of counter-terrorism. “We should not have a repeat of what happened in Mumbai. We were attacked and we did nothing. This is unacceptable. Wherever required, we will act after thinking it through thoroughly,” he said. When India was a member of the UN Security Council, it was chairing the counter-terrorism committee, Jaishankar said. “We held the counter-terrorism panel meeting in the same hotel that was hit by the terror attack.”
