- News>
- India
NCP opposes sending troops to Iraq, demands all party meet
New Delhi, July 03: The Nationalist Congress Party today opposed any move to send Indian troops to Iraq and demanded an all-party meet to discuss the issue.
New Delhi, July 03: The Nationalist Congress Party today opposed any move to send Indian troops to Iraq and demanded an all-party meet to discuss the issue.
In a statement issued here, the party said deployment of
Indian troops in Iraq "will mean contradiction of declared
Indian position opposing the United States' unjustified
occupation of Iraq, which has been resolved unanimously by
Parliament".
"It will also mean exposing Indian troops to casualties by sniper attacks of the hostile Iraqi population now being faced by the US occupation forces,” it said.
The party clarified that it will support any involvement of Indian troops only if done under the aegis of the United Nations.
It also demanded the NDA government take the nation into confidence on what it called "dealing with the US".
Meanwhile, several eminent social workers including Swami Agnivesh and Nirmala Deshpande requested the government to "avoid operation Iraq folly" and said "there is no justification for risking Indian lives to stabilize the anarchic outcome of American adventurism in that country".
They appealed to the Prime Minister to desist from sending troops to Iraq as it would make a "mockery" of our tradition of non-alignment and make us a "partisan player in world politics".
Bureau Report
"It will also mean exposing Indian troops to casualties by sniper attacks of the hostile Iraqi population now being faced by the US occupation forces,” it said.
The party clarified that it will support any involvement of Indian troops only if done under the aegis of the United Nations.
It also demanded the NDA government take the nation into confidence on what it called "dealing with the US".
Meanwhile, several eminent social workers including Swami Agnivesh and Nirmala Deshpande requested the government to "avoid operation Iraq folly" and said "there is no justification for risking Indian lives to stabilize the anarchic outcome of American adventurism in that country".
They appealed to the Prime Minister to desist from sending troops to Iraq as it would make a "mockery" of our tradition of non-alignment and make us a "partisan player in world politics".
Bureau Report