US senator’s remarks about India’s anti-Pakistan activities cause a stir

The Indian government has just been annoyed by two-year-old remarks of Senator Chuck Hagel, who is nominated for US defence secretary.

In a sharp rebuttal to Senator Hagel, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC said, “Mr Hagel’s remarks are in sharp contrast to the viewpoint of the Obama administration that has always been in praise of India’s developmental role in Afghanistan and in fact has been pressing New Delhi to do more in Afghanistan.”

Two days ago, a video of a 2011 speech made by Hagel was uploaded by an online paper. He said, “India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border.”

“And you can carry that into many dimensions, the point being the tense, fragmented relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been there for many, many years,” he added.

The video of Senator Hagel’s speech was sent by the office of Republican Senator John Cornyn to top leaders of the Indian-American community. “In light of our shared interest in the US-India relationship, thought you would want to see this,” said the email sent by Cornyn’s office with the video.

As Nebraska senator for two terms from 1997 to 2009, Hagel was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has frequently travelled to South Asia and voted in favour of the India-US civilian nuclear deal.

INDIAN RESPONSE:

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid downplayed Hagel’s alleged remark, saying the US defence secretary nominee had made no such statement. “He has made no such statement. You are talking about some lecture given in a university two years ago. I cannot react to something he said about two years ago,” Khurshid told reporters outside the Indian parliament.

Earlier in the day, Khurshid said the Indian Embassy in Washington had conveyed New Delhi’s concern in this regard.

“What we had to say, we have said it through our High Commission. At this point in time, we don’t require to say anything further officially. We welcome the new political developments there. But we will not speak further on the discussions that are presently on there until it comes to us in a formal manner,” he added.

Meanwhile, Indian Information Minister Manish Tewari said India had always played a positive and developmental role in Afghanistan “I think Chuck Hagel should check these facts,” he added.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on his part disapproved Hagel’s alleged remark, and asked the Congress-led UPA government to give a fitting reply to the US. “It’s very serious if a person like Chuck Hagel has such views. We ask the government to give a fitting reply to the US on this,” he said.

Hagel, a former Republican senator, would succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is stepping down after four years as CIA Director and Pentagon chief.