India must support Venezuela in UNSC election: CPI(M)

Kolkata, Sep 13 (UNI) The CPI(M) Polit Bureau today urged the UPA Government to support the candidature of Venezuela for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council and not to side with the US, which was backing Guatemala.

''India should not wait to see who is supporting whom. It should go by its own decision by extending support to Venezuela, which is an important member of the group of developing countries and the Non Aligned Movement,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said at the end of the party's two-day apex body meeting.

Both Venezuela and Guatemala were bidding from the Latin American-Carribean region for a non-permanent seat in the world body, election for which would be held soon.

He said the US was actively working to foil Venezuela's bid and was trying to get elected Guatemala, which had the 'worst' human rights record. ''The US is opposed to Venezuela's candidature because the country follows an independent policy. On the other hand, Guatemala is virtually America's surrogate nation and there is no question of supporting it,'' he said.

The CPI(M) General Secretary hoped a decision on extending support to Venezuela would be taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the coming NAM summit in Havana.

To a question, Mr Karat said the Left parties had conveyed to the Prime Minister that the NAM summit should be utilised to resume composite dialogue with Pakistan when he meets President Pervez Musharraf.

''We have made it a point to the Prime Minister that India should not stop dialogue while stressing at the same time that pressure should be kept on Pakistan to check extremists from carrying out terrorist acts on the Indian soil,'' he said.

Taking up the recent Malegaon blasts for discussion, the Polit Bureau urged the Centre to strengthen security intelligence and make a coordinated effort with the Maharashtra government to uncover the network and groups behind the attacks.

The party also decided to send a Parliamentary team led by CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia and Mr Amitabha Nandy to visit Malegaon and convey the party's sympathy and solidarity with the affected people.

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