The Hindu : Opposition to Sharon visit `hypocritical'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2003

National

National

Opposition to Sharon visit `hypocritical'

By Our Special Correspondent

Members of the Left parties staging a demonstration in New Delhi on Tuesday against the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. — Photo: S. Arneja

MADURAI SEPT. 9. The Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, has criticised the opposition to the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, as "hypocritical" as Israel "has helped India consistently" in development and anti-terrorism activities.

"We should respect a democratically-elected leader and the Prime Ministership of Israel," without looking into the individual's history, he told mediapersons here today.

Even welcoming Mr. Sharon's visit, he said India should support the Palestinian cause. Would those who opposed the visit advocate the cancellation of all collaborative ventures with Israel, he asked.

Reiterating that India should send its troops to Iraq, Dr. Swamy said the country had already missed an opportunity to "join the war effort" with the United States. Now that the U.S. was facing "difficulty in restoring peace and order" in Iraq, India should go to its help. If the U.S. chose to pull out of Iraq, as in Vietnam, "India will be the loser" as Iraq would become "a centre of terrorism".

He sought to differentiate between the opposition to the presence of U.S. troops in Vietnam and Iraq by saying that in the case of the former a national liberation movement was present but it was terror in Iraq.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National