'I've only been diplomat for 41 years': Jaishankar's sarcastic dig at 'China gurus' Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday took a dig at "China gurus" during the debate on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha, a day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi targeted the government over the Pakistan-China nexus during the military conflict with Pakistan in May.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Jaishankar said sarcastically that we have "China gurus" among us these days who have more insights into Beijing than a career diplomat like him.

"Today, people are offering great wisdom on China. Some people are even saying I am not that well-versed in China. Sir, I've only spent 41 years in foreign service, only been the longest-serving ambassador. But there are China gurus now. One sir is an honourable member sitting across me (Jairam Ramesh), whose affection for China was so great that he coined the term 'Chindia'," Jaishankar said.

Indirectly referring to Rahul Gandhi, he added: "Besides him, there is another China guru. Perhaps I might be lacking something when it comes to China. No one invited me to China Olympics. No one invited me ... I am not a special person. Some people acquired knowledged about China after going to Olympics. And they never reveal to whom they spoke to in China and what they did."

Jaishankar added that Rahul Gandhi takes private tuitions directly from the Chinese ambassador. "When Olympics classrooms happen, some things get hidden, so one has to take private tuitions. They take private tuitions from the Chinese ambassador himself."

The minister was referring to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi's visit to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was also recounting Rahul's meeting with the Chinese ambassador during the 2017 Doklam border crisis, a fact that was initially denied by Congress but later acknowledged by Rahul Gandhi himself.

During his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Jaishankar over his remarks that India is fighting a two-front war with Pakistan and China. “The foreign affairs minister is talking about a two-front war. He doesn’t even understand the basics of warfare. The two-front war concept is long gone. Today, it is a unified command; that’s what’s happened with Pakistan and China. Pakistani officers have been embedded with the PLA. Now we are not just facing China and Pakistan fused as one military.”

Jaishankar also rebutted the statement, saying that the Pakistan-China nexus began when India was under Congress rule. "Their tango was possible because Congress gave up Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Their nexus is not new."