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Stating that the US action to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is matter of grave concern, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said United States has no right to kidnap an elected leader and noted that it can happen to any other country tomorrow including India.
Chavan told ANI that whatever happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. "Whatever has happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. An elected President has been kidnapped and taken to another country. You may not like the policies. America is always fighting the Left political thought. So that may be so, but do you have a right to kidnap an elected President? The UN Security Council will debate exactly the same point. It's a very grave concern that it could happen to any other country tomorrow. Tomorrow it can happen to India. If you allow one country to be hegemon, to have its will in international affairs, I think we are going for a very dangerous kind of a territory," he said. Chavan said India has not taken a categoric stance over the US action. "India has not spoken as usual, not taken a stand on the Venezuela matter... What is right, what is morally correct, nothing... Russia and China have taken a stand and criticised what America has done. But in India, Prime Minister Modi is more concerned about his own personal image than standing up for what is right and what is wrong. The same thing happened in the Ukraine war. We did not take any side... Both sides are correct, both sides are wrong. We did not take any stand on the Israel-Hamas matter, even when there was a clear case of genocide against the people living in Gaza. We kept quiet because Netanyahu is PM Modi's personal friend," he said. "Now here we are, so scared of Americans that we are not even trying to criticise what has happened.. If America has a point that President Maduro's regime was exporting drugs to America, it's a serious charge. But we have heard before in case of Saddam Hussein, when Iraq was invaded by saying that Saddam Hussein is manufacturing nuclear weapons and ultimately we found it was a bogus claim. It was just an excuse to invade Iraq. Similarly, this whole claim about drugs export and Maduro personally involved in a drug-smuggling racket...I mean it's a claim by Trump and whether its true or not, we don't know it. Enough evidence has to be given. But, whatever happens, no one can justify kidnapping an elected leader of another free country," he said. India had on Sunday expressed its deep concern over the US action in Venezuela. "Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region," Ministry of External Affairs had said in a release. The release said that the Embassy of India in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance. United States on Saturday carried out a "large-scale strike against Venezuela" and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores who were taken out of the country. Trump later stated that Maduro and his wife have been indicted on charges of "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and will face trial. He said that American forces, working with law enforcement agencies, captured Maduro and his wife in a nighttime operation. (ANI)
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