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PM Modi’s role in Russia-Ukraine crisis admirable, says Rajnath Singh at poll rally
He said earlier the world did not care what India had to say on international matters. However, things changed under Modi’s leadership and now, the world is always waiting to listen to what India has to say.
Senior BJP leader and defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping India gain ‘a powerful status in the world’, while slamming previous governments at the Centre for making the country ‘look weak’ at global forums.
Speaking about the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, Singh said India wants ‘peace to prevail’ at all costs. Singh, who addressed an election rally in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, said Modi undertook the role of a leader to “ensure global peace” amid the latest crisis.
“India has always been a promoter of peace. India is the only nation in the world who has never attacked any nation or wrongfully occupied even an inch of another nation’s land. Every nation should follow India’s footsteps and the principles we live by, to ensure global peace,” he said.
He said earlier the world did not care what India had to say on international matters and its words were taken for granted by global leaders. However, things changed under Modi’s leadership and now, the world is always waiting to listen to what India has to say.
“Previously, when India used to say anything on the global forums, the world didn’t listen to us sincerely. They used to think, ‘India is weak. What can they do? Let them speak’. Nobody used to listen to India. But today, when India speaks, everyone listens to us eagerly. No words will be enough to commend the immense role Modi is playing to ensure peace in the Russia-Ukraine crisis,” he said.
India, on Friday, abstained from a vote on a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution “deploring” the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and asking Moscow to cease the use of force against Ukraine, withdraw all its forces from Ukraine, and reverse its recognition of the two breakaway Ukrainian provinces as independent republics.
India’s move to abstain from the voting has been criticised by several leaders of the Opposition parties as well as at the international level.
"India says it can evacuate from neighbouring countries, but how can Indian students get to the border? Any help from the beleaguered Ukrainian authorities to facilitate their exit is all the more unlikely after India’s UN abstention," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said.
"Abstain in voting against a war doesn’t make your relationship better but makes your principles weaker against violence and human rights violations,” Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote on Twitter.
“There comes a time when nations need to stand-up and not stand aside. I sincerely wish India had voted in solidarity with the people of Ukraine at UNSC who are facing an unprecedented & unjustified aggression. ‘Friends’ need to be told when they are wrong,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a call with Modi on Saturday, urged him to extend India’s political support in the UNSC against Russia.
