S Jaishankar praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership qualities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called in the middle of the night after the Indian consulate in an Afghan city was attacked a few years ago, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar recalled. “Jaage (are you awake)?,” was his first question, Mr Jaishankar said as he praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership qualities in a time of need.
The minister narrated incidents from the 2016 attack on the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, the war-torn country, while speaking at an event to discuss the book’ Modi @ 20: Dreams Meet Delivery’.
#CLOCK | NY, US: Recounting India’s evacuation effort from Afghanistan, EAM Jaishankar said, “It’s past midnight… Prime Minister called me, his first question was -” Jaage cough? “…I told him help was being worked on. He told me to call him when he was done…that’s a strange quality.” pic.twitter.com/AxL7Ddp6d6
– ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2022
“It’s past midnight and our consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan is under attack. We’re trying to figure out what happened and my phone rang. I was a bit surprised. When the Prime Minister called me, he didn’t.” get caller ID but still someone connects to you. But this time it’s the prime minister,” he shared.
The prime minister asked me if I was awake, Mr. Jaishankar said.
“It’s 12:30 am (am), what am I going to do other than stay awake? Because in his life it’s only natural,” he shared at the event in New York.
“Are you watching TV?” “Yes, sir,” the conversation continued before it turned to the situation in Afghanistan. He said, when informed that the help was underway, Prime Minister Modi asked to be personally notified when the operation ended. “I was told this would take another two or three hours and I’ll notify your office (PMO) when it’s over.” “Call me,” replied the Prime Minister, he said.
Praising the prime minister’s sense of responsibility in such an hour of need, he also pointed out how India could make important decisions during the more recent Covid crisis.
“If you look at the way leaders around the world are handling Covid – not everyone supports or says I would take that call. To handle the consequences of very big decisions is a quality. extremely strange,” Jaishankar praised Prime Minister Modi.
He also recalled the first time he met the prime minister. Mr. Jaishankar said: “I really liked Mr. Modi before meeting him. On some level, many people will complain, I am a micromanager.
He also recounted India’s evacuation efforts from Afghanistan last year when the Taliban took over.
The Secretary of State is in New York for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. On the sidelines of it, he also met with envoys and heads of state from around the world.
(With input from ANI)
