Highlighting India's growth in digital transactions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while India does transactions worth ₹120 crores in a month, the US does only worth ₹40 crore in a year. The EAM further said while some countries have doubts about the efficiency of democracy, India has shown how democracy can deliver.
Speaking at an event in Rajasthan's Bikaner on Wednesday, Jaishankar said, "Today, we do cashless payments through UPI. We have transactions worth ₹120 crore in a month. While the US makes digital transactions worth ₹40 crore in a year. You should see how we have progressed in some areas and the world commends that.
"He said that while questions are raised on the election process in many countries, it is not the case in India, adding that Indians should appreciate themselves for it. "Earlier, people used to say democracy is a good thing, but development can't be done in the system. Everything takes time, people can't make decisions. What we have done is that democracy delivers. You should understand the importance of it," the Foreign Minister said.
"You all should also think while voting that the world is surprised...when 100 crore people vote and the process happens so smoothly...Our elections are conducted successfully. The way questions are raised on the election process in other countries is not done here. We should appreciate ourselves for this," he added.
Earlier in the day, during an event, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's unwavering stance against cross-border terrorism, particularly highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership in handling security challenges.
Reflecting on past experiences, Jaishankar drew attention to India's stance on cross-border terrorism before PM Modi's era, and underscored a notable shift since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, stating, "That era is now behind us. Since the Mumbai attacks on 26/11, we haven't witnessed any major terrorist incidents in our country. In today's India, be it any terrorist incident, Uri is our reply."
Highlighting the operations carried out to evacuate Indians stranded in conflict situations abroad, the EAM reiterated the assurance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment (Modi Ki Guarantee), extending beyond India's borders. "In my capacity as the Minister of External Affairs, I can affirm that Modi Ki Guarantee also works beyond our borders, wherever our citizens or even our compatriots find themselves trapped," said Jaishankar.
Rajasthan sends 25 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Polling will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. BJP won all 25 seats in the state in 2014. In 2019 also, the BJP-led alliance won all 25 seats, with BJP winning 24.