India critical of permanent members of the UN Security Council for rigidity

Vienna: India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Jaishankar, criticized the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for wanting to expand permanent membership to other countries. Dr Jaishankar said the existing members have been enjoying benefits exclusively and hence in no urgency to act upon reforms. Dr Jaishankar warned that the delay in adopting reform is damaging the credibility of the United Nations, which is harmful to the interest of the present member countries. Along with this, Jaishankar severely criticized the western countries for not condemning Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in harsh words.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, while visiting Austria, raised the issues related to reforms needed at the United Nations. ‘The United States, Russia, the UK, France, and China are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. These countries continue to enjoy the benefits of permanent membership and are not interested in expanding the Security Council. Apart from India, other countries have started to raise their voice against it. Countries in Africa and Latin America, and other developing countries do not have permanent membership in the Security Council. Since the UN was established in 1945, there have been no reforms, not even in 2023,’ Jaishankar severely criticized.

In an interview given to the Austrian National News Agency, Dr Jaishankar spoke on India’s stance on terrorism and the purchase of fuel from Russia. While addressing the Indian community in Vienna, the capital of Austria, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, without explicitly mentioning Pakistan, criticized it as a neighbouring country with an epicentre of terrorism. In response to a question raised about Pakistan, Dr Jaishankar said that the political language limits the choice of words to call Pakistan a centre of terrorism, else much harsher words would be more appropriate.

Dr Jaishankar did not mince his words to express India’s views on Pakistan. The Indian EAM reminded the council that Pakistan carried out a terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament, killed Indians and foreign tourists in Mumbai attacks, and has been actively engaged in openly training and financing terrorists and forcing them into India across the borders. ‘Will Pakistan be oblivious to all this?’ Dr Jaishankar asked. ‘While Pakistan chooses to engage in such activities, the European countries have turned a blind eye to it. The reason is that Europe does not care if the terrorist attacks happen in other countries,’ Dr Jaishankar said.

European countries are questioning India’s neutral stand on the war and not condemning Russia for attacking Ukraine. Responding to it, the Foreign Minister highlighted in this interview that the European countries are conveniently turning a blind eye to the activities of Pakistan, which advocates terrorism. Dr Jaishankar pointed out Europe’s hypocrisy in criticizing India for sourcing fuel from Russia. He highlighted that Europe purchased six times more fuel than India from Russia since February 2022.

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