External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday reacted strongly to a barb over India being a ‘bully’, saying that “big bullies don’t provide USD 4.5 billion in aid when neighbouring countries are distressed”. Jaishankar’s comments came as he was asked whether India was being a “bully” in the sub-continent and the Indian Ocean region, during a book launch event in the national capital.

The big change today in this part of the world is what has happened between India and its neighbours. When you say India is perceived as a big bully, you know, big bullies don’t provide four and a half billion dollars when the neighbours are in trouble. Big bullies don’t supply vaccines to other countries when Covid-19 is on, or make exceptions to their own rules to respond to food demands or fuel demands or fertilizer demands because some war in some other part of the world has complicated their lives,” Jaishankar