CPI(M) flays India's foreign policy

Kozhikode: Criticising the foreign policy of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, the Communist party of India (Marxist) today said it marked a departure from the earlier independent policy of the nation.


In a political resolution adopted at the 20th Congress here, the party said it pursued a strategic alliance with the United States during the last eight years.


The move on such a policy progressed since 2005 as evident from the joint statements by the US President and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it said.


India singed End Use Monitoring Agreement to facilitate the sale of weaponry by the US and to meet its conditions, it said adding following this, weaponry worth Rs 40,000 crore were purchased from that country.


The visit of President Barack Obama in 2010 saw the twin objectives of opening up the Indian markets for the business and commercial interests of the US drawing India into a closer security and military relationship, it said. Mr Obama's endorsement for India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council came with the condition that India should cooperate with some of the vital strategic goals of the US', it alleged.


India was fully on board with the US strategy in Afghanistan and voted for the fourth time against Iran on the nuclear issue at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meet, it claimed.


At the instance of the US, the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline has been effectively scuttled in favour of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India pipeline, it alleged.


The party said it will assiduously campaign for an independent foreign policy will also be part of a new trajectory of development in the country, it added.