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Summon envoy: Left, UNPA

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Left parties and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) on Wednesday asked the government to summon the U.S. Ambassador and register its strong protest against Washington’s “unsolicited advice” asking India to talk tough to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the nuclear issue during his visit here.

Raising the matter in the Rajya Sabha during question hour, Brinda Karat (CPI-M) said the U.S. statement was a “gross interference” in India’s relations with other countries. “The U.S. has been showing its imperialist arrogance. It is behaving like a self-appointed world policeman,” she said.

“Though the External Affairs Ministry has denounced the U.S. statement, it was not enough. The U.S. Ambassador should be summoned and India should register its strong displeasure on the issue.”

Supported by other Left and UNPA members, Ms. Karat said the Manmohan Singh government sullied India’s image by voting twice against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency. “The U.S. has been telling India to cooperate with it on the Iranian nuclear issue. This clearly proves that the U.S. considers India its junior partner. The U.S. cannot guide us on our foreign policy matters.”

She said the “war-mongering” George Bush administration was now targeting Iran, which was a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and had the right to enrich uranium under international safeguards. The U.S. was also trying to scuttle the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. It was an act “against our national interests.”

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