Centre passive on Saddam verdict: Natwar

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 19: Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh today criticised the Manmohan Singh Government for not opposing the death sentence awarded to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

''I am surprised that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandi did not make any comment on the issue,'' he told newspersons here.

Mr Singh said he was not defending what Mr Saddam Hussain did, but said the latter has always been very friendly towards India.

Earlier, delivering the keynote address at the Indira Gandhi commemoration function organised by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) here, he said what had happened in Iraq was destruction of a secular, non-alinged country.

Several people died and entire Islamic world-- from Moroceo to Tunisia had been highly critical of what was happening in Iraq. It had to be seen how the situation in Iraq would affect the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.

Addressing the meeting, NCP leader K Karunakaran said the rights of minorities should be protected at any cost.

UNI