PUNE, 22 June — Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi blasted the United States and Israel for their double-standard and said that both the countries were in agreement to destroy India and Pakistan. Qaddafi made this observation during a meeting with a 30-member Indian group which returned recently from Libya.
The group consisted of prominent leaders from all walks of life. They included Shankaracharya of Puri Sri Adhokshjand Dev, Asad Madani of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind, Dalit leader Udit Raj, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice Chancellor G.K. Chadda, former Governor A.R. Kidwai, Sikh leader H.S. Hanspal, political adviser to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, N.K. Sharma and chairman of the Hind Agro Industries, Sirajuddin Quraishi. A report in the Milli Gazette newspaper quoted Qaddafi as saying that "Imperialists do not want to see India emerging as a strong nation.
"They are trying to divide India and Pakistan to create smaller states with rivalries among them." he said. The Libyan leader added that Israel and the US wish to see both India and Pakistan destroyed.
Qaddafi said the US was pushing Israel to have a close relationship with India. He expressed his concern over the growing tension between India and Pakistan, and was of the view that leaders of both the countries were "blind" and were against the masses, hence, there was no use in talking to them.
