The Congress hit back at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday for his statement that people from the country are taking internal politics outside, saying he was appointed as a minister by the man who broke the long tradition of not bringing up matters of domestic politics abroad.

Speaking at an event organised in Bengaluru by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya last Thursday, Jaishankar said, "People from inside this country are taking politics outside and people from outside are interfering with politics inside."

Reacting to the remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "The man who broke the long tradition of not taking domestic politics abroad, made him (Jaishankar) minister."

"And he took it abroad viciously starting 2015. Obviously the EAM doesn't want to acknowledge that," he added. Jaishankar's remarks came after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, during his recent interactions in London, alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

A political slugfest ensued, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing previous instances of Modi raising internal politics abroad.