BJP welcomes Obama's election as US President

New Delhi, Nov 5 (UNI) Welcoming ''wholeheartedly'' the victory of Barack Obama in the US Presidential election, the BJP today termed it a ''historic event and the story of the success of democracy.'' Addressing the media, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the change of guard in the US and a similar event in India in the next few months augured well for Indo-US relations.

''Both will take Indo-US relations to newer heights as BJP has always advocated good relations with the United States.'' Opining that Mr Obama's litmus test would be on how he dealt with the recession and economic downturn facing the US, the BJP spokesman said there were lessons for India as well, which needed to be cautious on three fronts while dealing with him.

''On the CTBT, which India was not ready to sign, on Jammu and Kashmir where Mr Obama talked of active mediation and India averse to any mediation, and on tax burden on the US companies who outsource work,'' he said.

India will have to raise these issues at an appropriate time with the US as they concerned the people of the country directly, he added.

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