Thursday, May 26 2005 09:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Pledging their support to India's claim for a permanent seat in UN Security Council (UNSC), a group of British MPs of the ruling Labour Party said it deserved the veto power or else "there should be no veto for anyone".

"Whilst we recognise that the subject of UN reform is akin to opening up a 'Pandora's box', we will continue to pursue the UK Government's pledge of campaigning for a seat on the UNSC for India," Labour Friends of India (LFI) chairman Stephen Pound said at a reception hosted at the House of Commons to welcome new MPs to Westminster last night (May 25, 2005).

"Labour Friends of India will encourage that the playing field is further levelled by campaigning for veto rights for India on the UNSC. If not, there should be no veto for anyone," he said.

Present on the occasion were Kamalesh Sharma, Indian High Commissioner to UK, Sudharshan Agarwal, Governor of Uttaranchal, Barry Gardiner, MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Sir G K Noon, NRI industrialist.

Kamalesh Sharma lauded the role of Labour Friends of India in bonding the India-UK relations and said the time has come for both the countries "to move into a relation of the future" in all walks of life including trade and culture.

Noting that US companies were investing in significant numbers in India, Stephen Pound said British companies could do more instead of giving excuses such as red tape and inefficient bureaucracy in India.

He said Labour Friends of India would continue to campaign for the halt of state-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir from across the border.