Insta
Congress, Left Leaders Meet North Korean Envoy As India Criticises Pyongyang’s ICBM Test
Swarajya Staff
Jul 14, 2017, 03:44 PM | Updated 03:44 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Leaders from the Congress and the communist parties met North Korean embassy officials in New Delhi while India criticised the reclusive regime’s test of nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and called on the world “to hold accountable all those parties that have supported these programmes”.
In a statement released earlier this month, New Delhi had said that these tests “also impacted India’s national security” and had called on Pyongyang to exercise restraint amid rising tensions with the United States. North Korea had successfully test fired its first ever ICBM, that can also carry nuclear warheads, on 4 July.
India’s criticism was seen as an attempt to target Pakistan and China, who have helped North Korea over the years to develop nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Pakistan is known to have provided North Korea enriched uranium and technical know-how in return for nuclear missile technology in the nineties. India’s criticism also comes amid improving relations with the US, which has been mounting pressure on China to help rein in North Korea’s nuclear programme.
The Left parties, who are a part of the India-Korea Friendship Association, are at the forefront of the Opposition’s outreach to North Korea.
Not long ago, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had met the Chinese envoy to India amid rising tensions at the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction. Today, the Communist Party of India - Marxist in its mouthpiece People’s Democracy blamed India’s growing strategic ties with the US for the deteriorating relations with China and asked New Delhi to “let Bhutan take the lead in negotiating with China on the Doklam Plateau”.
The Opposition, it seems, is bent on taking an approach averse to the one that the government takes in the interest of national security.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.