Unfair to say India follows US: Syed Akbaruddin

New Delhi: India’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, on Friday noted that claims that India follows the United States are “unfair” and “not reflective of reality”.

In an interaction with young Indian podcaster and entrepreneur, Raj Shamani, on his YouTube channel, Akbaruddin said: “No, I think it’s unfair to say that we follow (the US). Look at the Board of Peace. (US President Donald) Trump has put up a Board of Peace; Pakistan has put up a Board of Peace. We have not joined it. Because we know this is not a real international institution. The US doesn’t like us negotiating with Iran at all to get our ships. It has not stopped us from going and negotiating. And we have openly said we are doing it one by one. If it works, we will try again.”

“The US doesn’t want that. It wants countries to send ships there — minesweepers, etc.– and it doesn’t even mention our name because they know that we are not a country which takes sides like that. I can give you another whole list of things where we are not aligned. So, on the war in Ukraine, did we support the US? No. The US repeatedly told us not to abstain, but we did abstain. So, I don’t think there is anybody in the world who believes that India follows the US. Even the US doesn’t think that. Maybe some people here who want to prove a point will say that, but in reality, it’s not,” the former IFS officer said.

The Opposition in India has often been seen criticising the government and alleging that it functions under the pressure of US President Trump. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has also made similar remarks on several occasions, suggesting that “India’s PM is compromised.”

IANS