On Anna, US calls for 'restraint’; India snaps back

Washington: This is an American advice India could do without. In a rather unnecessary statement, which is likely to generate some diplomatic heat, the US today hoped India would exercise “appropriate democratic restraint” while dealing with Anna Hazare’s peaceful protest. Hazare has decided to go on fast from 16 August in support of his version of the Lokpal bill. “As you know, we support the right of peaceful, non-violent protest around the world…That said, India is a democracy, and we count on India to exercise appropriate democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest,” State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_60132” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“US’s statement is likely to ruffle feathers in India, particularly in the government circles. AFP”]  [/caption] It could be a rather innocuous statement of a general nature. But it’s likely to ruffle feathers in India, particularly in the government circles which are touchy about Anna Hazare’s protest and the popular support behind it. In fact, the External Affairs Ministry has come out with a terse response saying the remarks was “needless”. “We have seen the needless comments by the US State Department spokesperson on handling of peaceful protests in India. Freedoms of speech and expression, as well as, of peaceful assembly, are enshrined in the Constitution of India and exercised by citizens of this country of 1.2 billion people,” the official spokesperson for the ministry said. PTI