‘Well done!’ When Shashi Tharoor lauded EAM Jaishankar for India’s abstention from vote at UNSC

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said in a tweet that while he understood the humanitarian concerns behind the resolution, he fully agreed with India’s reservations that led to its abstention.

Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor applauded India’s abstention from the vote in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a resolution that exempts humanitarian aid efforts from sanctions.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said in a tweet that while he understood the humanitarian concerns behind the resolution, he fully agreed with India’s reservations that led to its abstention.

“While understanding the humanitarian concerns behind the resolution, I agree fully with India’s reservations that prompted its abstention. We don’t have to look far across the border for evidence to substantiate @ruchirakamboj’s words. Well done, @IndiaUNNewYork @DrSJaishankar,” Tharoor tweeted.

India on Saturday abstained in the UNSC on a resolution, that was presented by the United States and Ireland, which was adopted by 14 votes in favour of exempting humanitarian aid efforts from sanctions. The Council voted on the resolution, with 14 of the 15 Council members voting in favour, while India was the sole country to abstain from voting.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said, in her explanation, said that India engaged consIndia engaged constructively in the negotiations on the resolution, which provides a carve-out from sanctions in support of the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance or to support other activities meeting basic human needs, reported news agency PTI.

“However, India will call for caution and due diligence to be exercised while extending humanitarian assistance to proscribed entities under 1267, who continue to thrive with full state hospitality in territories universally acknowledged as terrorist havens by the international community,” she said, making a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan.

“Our concerns emanate from proven instances of terrorist groups taking full advantage of such humanitarian carve-outs, and making a mockery of sanction regimes, including that of the 1267 Sanctions Committee. There have also been several cases of terrorist groups in our neighbourhood, including those listed by this Council, re-incarnating themselves as humanitarian organizations and civil society groups precisely to evade these sanctions. These terrorist organizations use the umbrella of the humanitarian assistance space to raise funds and recruit fighters,” she said.

(With inputs from PTI)