‘If a friend commits mistake…’: Congress’ Manish Tewari on India abstaining UN resolution on Russia

Source : Times Now

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Congress leader Manish Tewari on Saturday sought to criticise India’s decision to abstain from the UN Security Council resolution deploring Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, saying if a “friend commits a mistake, we should correct them”.

India and two other countries on Friday abstained from the US-drafted UNSC resolution against the Russian aggression which was vetoed by Moscow.

Of the 15 members of the council, eleven voted in favour of the resolution while and China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained. Five countries — the US, the UK, Russia, China and France — are permanent members of the council and have veto powers. India is a non-permanent member and its current two-year term expires this year.

Expressing dismay over India’s decision, Tewari said, “India’s Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) policy has been gradually ended since 1991, and today if India thinks of treading back to the same policy, it will be a mistake.”

“Russia has stood by us in our adversities, but if a friend commits a mistake, we have to correct them. It presents the world with a new iron curtain with nations on one side advocating democracy and others supporting totalitarian way. India has to pick its side,” he said.

India's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) policy has been gradually ended since 1991, and today if India thinks of treading back to the same policy, it will be a mistake: Manish Tewari, Congress on #UkraineRussiaCrisis pic.twitter.com/aAZ1Z301RM

— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2022

There comes a time when nations needs to stand-up and not stand aside

I sincerely wish India had voted in solidarity with people of Ukraine at UNSC who are facing an unprecedented & unjustified aggression.

‘Friends’ need to be told when they are wronghttps://t.co/sOFpzhQiL9

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 26, 2022

Prominent Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna also expressed disappointment over India’s decision and said it is the US and not Russia that will stand with New Delhi against China’s current expansionist plans.

“In 1962, President (John F) Kennedy stood with India against China’s invasion. It is the US, not Russia, that will stand with India against China’s current expansionist plans,” Khanna tweeted on Friday.

“This is the time for India to stand with the free word (sic) against Putin. Abstention is not acceptable,” said the three-term Democratic Congressman from California.

In India’s explanation of vote in the Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said, “Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment. It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution.”

Sources said by abstaining, India retained the option of reaching out to relevant sides in an effort to bridge the gap and find the middle ground with an aim to foster dialogue and diplomacy. They also said that India has been in touch with all sides urging parties concerned to return to the negotiating table.