External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday took a veiled jibe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi as he said that life was not “khata-khat” but required hard work and diligence. The phrase was used by the Congress leader during the Lok Sabha elections 2024 campaigning when he promised prompt money transfers to women if his party came to power.

Addressing the Indian community in Geneva, Jaishankar was describing the changes in India and the infrastructural development carried out under the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last ten years when he made the remark.

“Until we develop the human resources, it requires hard work, until you build the infrastructure, until you have those policies. So life is not ‘khata-khat’. Life is hard work. Life is diligence,” Jaishankar said.

He further said: “Anybody who’s held a job and laboured at it, knows it. So that’s my message to you, that we have to work hard at it.”

#WATCH | Interacting with the Indian community in Geneva, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, “…Until you build infrastructure & human resources, have those policies in place, it is hard work. Life is not ‘khata-khat’, life is hard work and diligence…”

(Video source: Ministry of… pic.twitter.com/Bdcv76dNgJ

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2024

During an election rally as part of the Lok Sabha polls campaign, Gandhi had used the “khata-khat” phrase when he promised that if his party won, they would transfer Rs 1 lakh to the account of a woman from each poor household in the country. He said that the transfer of money will happen “khata-khat”, meaning immediately.  

Jaishankar also underscored the significance of manufacturing in a country’s growth. He said: “And there are people who say that we are incapable of it, we should not even attempt it. Can you be a major power in the world without manufacturing? Because a major power needs technology. Nobody can develop technology without developing manufacturing.”

Rahul Gandhi had also commented on China’s manufacturing industry and India facing unemployment issues during an interaction with students at the University of Texas. He said. “The West has an employment problem, as does India. But many countries, like China and Vietnam, don’t face such a challenge because they are production hubs”.