India's foreign policy under threat due to US pressure: CPI-M

Kolkata -  Alleging that India's foreign policy was under threat due to US pressure, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday railed against New Delhi's vote for an Arab and western-backed UN resolution on Syria and its presence at a "Friends of Syria" meet at Tunis last month.

The CPI-M's Bengali mouthpiece Ganashakti described India's latest stand on trouble-torn Syria as a "sommersault" from its position in October last year when New Delhi abstained from  voting on a resolution moved by the European nations for increasing sanctions on the West Asian nation.

In an editorial, the morninger claimed India's volte face has shattered the country's prestige in the international arena.

"Lot of people are surprised over India's sommersault on Syria. But this is not surprising if we keep in the mind the strategic relationship between India and the US," the morninger said.

Though the February resolution denouncing the violent crackdown in Syria and calling for a democratic transition was vetoed by Russia and China, "the world has come to know that India  voted against Syria in the Security Council".

"It is needless to say that India's volte face has shattered India's prestige before the international community".

Expressing dismay over India "joining hands" with the US, "its loyalists" in the Arab world and the European countries, the CPI-M said New Delhi has also voted for a resolution against the  Syrian regime in the UN General Council.

"For those who still have doubts about India's policy with regard to Syria, can note that India participated in a meeting of the 'Friends of Syria' in Tunis Feb 24," the daily said.

"On the other hand, China and Russia stayed away from the meeting because the decks had been cleared for the dethroning and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi through a  similar meeting in the past," it said.

Expressing concern over the Muslim Brotherhood and other militant Islamic groups being actively involved against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the editorial noted that Al  Qaeda has lent support to the protestors.

"A conspiracy is on under US leadership to oust Assad. While the fundamentalists have joined in the protests as Syria is the only secular nation in the Arab world, the geo-political interests of  the US is also at play".

"The way India voted against Syria in February in the United Nations, makes it clear that US has put tremendous pressure".

"It is clear that India's foreign policy is under threat due to US pressure. This is not acceptable," it said.