SOCHI, October 5. /TASS/. Western political elites are "flirting" with India at the moment, but its government keeps acting independently, guided by the interests of the country's people, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

"They try to portray those who are not willing to blindly follow these Western elite groups as enemies. They have used this approach with various countries, including the People’s Republic of China, and they tried to do this to India in certain situations. They are flirting with it now, as we can see very clearly," Putin said.

"We are aware of and see the scenarios they are using in Asia. I would like to say that the Indian leadership is independent and strongly nationally oriented. I think these attempts are pointless, yet they continue with them," he added.

"In fact, anyone who acts independently and in its own interests is immediately seen by the Western elite as a hindrance that must be removed," the Russian leader continued.

In his words, in many Western countries the ruling elite is forcing societies to accept norms and rules that a significant number of people are unwilling to embrace. But they are still urged to do so, and the authorities continually inventing justifications for their actions, attributing growing internal problems to external causes, and fabricating or exaggerating non-existent threats.

"Russia is a favorite subject for these politickers. We have grown used to this over the course of history, of course," Putin said.