Sushma Swaraj's UN speech and a 'thank you' from Rahul Gandhi
Follow UsStory highlights
External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) invited a sarcastic "thank you" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi thanked the external affairs minister for "finally" recognising the Congress governments' "great vision and legacy of setting up IITs and IIMs.
Sushma ji, thank you for finally recognising Congress governments' great vision and legacy of setting up IITs and IIMs
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 24, 2017
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was more effusive in his praise, calling the external affairs minister's response "fitting and strong."
"Sushma ji was quite justified in turning the tables, her response was fitting and strong," Shashi Tharoor told ANI.
The Congress leader added that he appreciated hearing a member of the BJP government "acknowledging great accomplishments of last 60-70 years."
In her speech at the 72nd UNGA session in New York, the external affairs minister had said that while India had established institutions like IITs, IIMs and AIIMS, Pakistan on the other hand had created terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network.
The external affairs minister also drew a contrast between India which produced scholars, doctors and engineers and its Asian neighbour which produced terrorists.
Several BJP leaders including Indian prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sushma Swaraj for her befitting reply to Islamabad on the issue of the unrest in Kashmir.
PM Modi lauded her for making India "extremely proud on the world stage".
Incredible speech by EAM @SushmaSwaraj at the @UN! She has made India extremely proud at the world stage. https://t.co/nLI2CC2VBj #UNGA
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 23, 2017
EAM @SushmaSwaraj was insightful in identifying global challenges & strongly reiterated India's commitment to create a better planet. #UNGA
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 23, 2017
A strong message was given by @SushmaSwaraj Ji on the dangers of terrorism and why we have to unite and fight this menace. #UNGA
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 23, 2017
Home minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted his congratulations:
Congratulations to Smt. @SushmaSwaraj on her powerful, measured and nuanced articulation of India’s stand on the issue of terrorism at #UNGA
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 23, 2017
Her measured responses in spite of provocations speak volumes of her maturity & tenacity. She has exposed Pakistan’s duplicity on terrorism.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 23, 2017
"I would like today to tell Pakistan's politicians just this much, that perhaps the wisest thing they could do is to look within. India and Pakistan became free within hours of each other. Why is it that today India is a recognised IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory for terror?," Ms Swaraj had said.
"We established scientific and technical institutions which are the pride of the world. But what has Pakistan offered to the world and indeed to its own people apart from terrorism?" she said, referring to the institutions such as IITs, IIMs and AIIMS.
"We produced scientists, scholars, doctors, engineers. What have you produced? You have produced terrorists...you have created terrorist camps, you have created Lashkar-e- Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Haqqani network," she added.