EAM S Jaishankar, who addressed a press conference here, also said that the human rights issue has come up in the past.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday retorted to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks and said India was entitled "to have views about their (US) views and the interests and the lobbies and the vote banks which drives that".
S Jaishankar also revealed that the human rights issue was not discussed when he met with Blinken.
At a joint presser after the meeting, while answering a query about Blinken's remarks after the 2+2 dialogue on Monday, Jaishankar said India also takes a view on other people's human rights situation, including that of the United States, and raises matters concerning the Indian community.
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Jaishankar, who addressed a press conference here, also said that the human rights issue has come up in the past.
"No, we did not discuss human rights during this meeting. This meeting was primarily focused on political and military affairs. It (human rights) is a subject that has come up in the past. It came up when Secretary Blinken came to India, and I think if you recall the press briefings after that, I was very open about the fact that we had discussed it and said what I had to say," Jaishankar said.
"People are entitled to have views about us, but we are also equally entitled to have views about their views and the interests and the lobbies and the vote banks which drive that," he added. He said India takes up human rights issues with the US, especially if they pertain to the Indian community."
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India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu was also present at the press conference. Blinken had said at the joint press conference after the 2+2 dialogue on Monday that India and the US share a commitment to democratic values, such as protecting human rights.
Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took part in the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington.
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 "'We are also equally entitled to have views': EAM S Jaishankar reacts to US remarks about human rights in India")
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