Diplomatic efforts on to ban Jaish chief: Government

China has been told that a "selective approach" cannot be adopted with regard to terrorism, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, adding that efforts are on at the diplomatic level to "remove the technical hold" to India's move to ban Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.

"China has been told you cannot take a selective approach on terrorism," Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said in the lower house of parliament during question hour.

Raising supplementaries, Congress member Gaurav Gogoi said the recent episode in the UN wherein China blocked India's bid to proscribe the JeM chief was a "diplomatic defeat" for New Delhi.

He alleged this happened notwithstanding the number of foreign trips being made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"This should be taken as a warning signal," Gogoi said and wanted to know why and how India's "diplomatic arsenals are falling weak".

The minister said all-out efforts are being made by the government of India so that the "technical hold" put by China is removed.

On April 1, China had blocked India's resolution at the UN to name and outlaw Masood Azhar, who New Delhi has identified as the mastermind of the terror attack on the Pathankot air force base in January this year.

India had moved the 1267 Committee of the Security Council in February this year to add Azhar to the banned terrorists' list.

Though China blocked the resolution putting it on "technical hold", other global players like the US, Britain and France had co-sponsored India's resolution.

Answering questions from members, including from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the minister said, India has been trying to get a permanent seat for itself in the UN Security Council but added that "it involves a long process".

"Efforts are on since 1992 and by 2008 one round of attempts failed. From 2008 the second round of efforts is being made. We are in touch with all friendly countries, and major global players have favoured reforms in UN wherein India can play a major role," he said.

China too from time to time has said that it favours India playing a big role in the world body, the minister said.

BJD member Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said time has come for India to tell five permanent members of the UN Security Council that they no longer hold the "moral authority" over global polity.

--IANS

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