India declares US comments needless on Hazare’s fast

New Delhi/Washington: US comments on activist Anna Hazare’s fast seems to be not going down well with New Delhi. The US has said that it counted on a democratic India to "exercise restraint" against peaceful protesters. The comment obtained a sharp reaction from New Delhi.

Responding to a question about planned protests against corruption on August 16, Victoria Nuland said, “India is a democracy, and we count on India to exercise appropriate democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest.”

Team Anna Hazare has declared they will go ahead with an indefinite fast in New Delhi beginning August 16 for a stronger Lokpal bill, and has called for tightening the draft anti-corruption legislation.

"We have seen the needless comments by the US State department spokesperson on handling of peaceful protests in India," said Vishnu Prakash, the spokesperson of India’s external affairs.

However, Hillary Clinton, US State Secretary in her Independence Day message, held India as a powerful example. “India’s independence movement and the inspirational leadership of Mahatma Gandhi still move people to be the change that they want to see in the world,” she added indeed.

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