The controversy between two big luminaries of Indian foreign policy, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, has started in the last few days. This controversy has mainly arisen over foreign policy matters and security related issues. According to media reports, Jaishankar’s son Dhruv Jaishankar, who is the head of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in the US, has been accused of leaking Indian intelligence to the US. These news spread rapidly in the media, due to which the controversy gained momentum. Dhruv Jaishankar handles US-related matters in the ORF and is known as an expert on Indian foreign policy. But these accusations were leveled against him because he shared some secret matters of India with American institutions, which are related to national security. Doval’s role is also being considered important in escalating this controversy. Doval, who is a close advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on national security, has taken the matter seriously. He has discussed it internally and has also questioned the Ministry of External Affairs.
The controversy began when some media reports suggested that Dhruv had briefed US policymakers on India’s dealings with China and Pakistan. It is also being said that the role of Reliance Group was also involved in this, as ORF gets funding from Reliance. This led to political developments and increased tensions between Doval and Jaishankar. The controversy also highlights the internal dynamics of Indian foreign policy, where there is a need for coordination between security and diplomacy. But this time the controversy has also erupted at a personal level, leading to disagreements among top officials of the Indian government. The controversy has also sparked a debate within India on whether there should be any rules on personal relationships in foreign policy. Doval, who has previously been the IB chief, has made it a matter of national security, while Jaishankar has considered it a product of the media. This controversy has sparked a new debate in Indian politics.
Impact of the controversy: Impact at the international and domestic levels
The impact of the dispute between Jaishankar and Doval is clearly visible on Indian foreign policy and international relations. The biggest impact has been on the Reliance Group’s program in the US. The India Week program in the US has been canceled by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center. It was a week-long program in which Indian culture was to be showcased. According to reports, this dispute has been postponed due to the increasing tension with the US. Earlier, the impact of this dispute was also seen in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China. Disagreements over foreign policy increased in the meetings and some decisions have been postponed. The biggest thing was seen in Modi’s bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Usually, foreign ministers attend such talks, but this time Doval was present instead of Jaishankar. Putin was accompanied by his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, while Modi was accompanied by Doval. This was presented in the media as if India’s strategy was changing and security was being given more priority. This narrative was run to divert attention from the controversy. Domestically, this controversy has affected Indian politics. Opposition parties presented it as an internal disagreement within the government and raised questions about whether Indian foreign policy is going in the right direction. Trade tensions with the US have increased and new challenges have emerged regarding relations with Russia. This controversy has also affected the Indian economy, as the cancellation of programs by large groups like Reliance has increased discontent among investors. India’s image has been damaged internationally and the controversy has forced other countries to think about their relations with India. This may bring new changes in Indian diplomacy and this controversy will have a long-term impact.
Allegations against Jaishankar’s son: Dhruv Jaishankar and allegations of leaking intelligence
At the centre of the controversy is Jaishankar’s son Dhruv Jaishankar, who is the director of ORF in the US and has been accused of leaking India’s intelligence to the US. The narrative in the media is that Dhruv has shared inside information with a close associate of India, which has created a threat to national security. Dhruv is considered an expert in foreign policy and has written about India-US relations in several research papers. But these allegations are made against him because he has informed American institutions about India’s affairs related to China and Russia. It is also being said that this controversy has increased due to ORF getting funding from Reliance. Dhruv has rejected these allegations and said that he only does research and does not share any confidential information. But the spread of these news in the media has damaged his reputation. This includes trade tensions with the US, which has intensified the allegations. Dhruv’s work has been discussed in several reports and he is considered an analyst of Indian foreign policy. But the controversy has made him controversial and has also sparked a debate in India about whether the family of officials should work in foreign institutions. The allegations are also under investigation by Indian security agencies, which has made the controversy more serious.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar gave his reaction to the controversy
