India pursues independent foreign policy, Akbaruddin denies claims of being a US stooge.:Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations said this.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations (UN) Syed Akbaruddin on Friday said that the claim that India moves to the tune of the US is unfair and does not reflect reality.

"I think it is unfair to say that we follow America. Look at the 'Board of Peace'," senior diplomat Akbaruddin said.

US President Donald Trump created a Board of Peace. We didn't join it because we know it's not a real international organization. The US doesn't like the idea of us negotiating with Iran to bring in our ships. But we did anyway. "The US doesn't want that.

"They (the US) want countries to send ships there, like minesweepers, and they don't even mention us because they know we're not a country that takes sides like that. I could give you a whole list of other things we're not on anyone's side with," he said.

Elaborating further, Syed Akbaruddin said, "Did we support the US in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia? No. The US repeatedly asked us not to abstain from voting, but we still abstained."