In a terse response to the Dutch envoy who asserted that India should not have abstained in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly vote on Ukraine, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti on Thursday, 5 May, said that Delhi "knows what to do" and did not need to be patronised.
Commenting on the statement made by India at the UN Security Council Meet on Thursday, shared by Tirumurti on Twitter, Ambassador of Netherlands van Oosterom said, "You should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter."
"Kindly don’t patronize us Ambassador. We know what to do," Tirumurti said in a curt reply to Oosterom.
In April, India had abstained in the UNGA vote moved by the United States (US) to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
In March, the UNGA had approved a resolution by Ukraine and its Western allies blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, with 140 countries voting in favour, five against, and 38, including India, abstaining.
India has refrained from all such procedural votes on the Russia-Ukraine war in the UN since the Russian aggression against Ukraine began on 24 February.
What Did India Say in the UN Meet on Thursday?
"India remains on the side of peace and believes there will be no winning side in this conflict. While those impacted by this conflict will continue to suffer, diplomacy will be a lasting casualty," Ambassador TS Tirumurti stated at the UNSC briefing on Ukraine on Thursday.
Tirumurti reiterated that India had consistently maintained its appeal for the "complete cessation of hostilities (in Ukraine) and for pursuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the only way out."
"However, the conflict has resulted in loss of lives and countless miseries for its peoples, particularly for women, children and elderly, with millions becoming homeless and forced to take shelter in neighbouring countries," he said.
"India has strongly condemned killing of civilians in Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation," the ambassador also noted.
"We agree that the immediate priority is of evacuation of innocent civilians from areas witnessing intense fighting. We appreciate the efforts of the United Nations in evacuating civilian population from Mariupol. We hope these efforts will extend to other areas as well."Indian Ambassador to the UN TS Tirumurti
The Indian envoy also raised the issues of rising oil prices and shortage of foodgrain that were emerging as a consequence of the war. "The conflict is having a destabilizing effect with broader regional and global implications," he stated.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)