India will give no bases to Russia
WASHINGTON, DEC. 16.-Mr. Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra, India’s Political Affairs Minister here, has categorically denied that in return for weapons the Soviet Union would be allowed to build bases in India, says AP.
“We have given no bases, and we have no intention of giving them bases”, he said yesterday in the taping of a television show that is to be shown on Saturday.
He said India had received armament from the Soviet Union. But the war India is fighting now is its own war and it is no fighting of the Soviet Union.
Mr. Rasgotra said Soviet ships might be floating around the area as are other ships floating around. But, he said, the Soviets were not anywhere near the Pakistani coastline where the American ships seemed to be heading.
Mr. Rasgotra said the idea of a cease-fire had been over shadowed by the unfortunate the presence of the Seventh Fleet. He said the fleet was obviously bent on military duty since it was “not a fleet from the Red Cross.”
Mr. Z. M. Farroqi, Pakistan Deputy Chief of Missions, said the US aircraft fleet was “well within its rights” to be on the high seas.
The High seas do not belong to anybody”, he said there is nothing wrong in the movement.”
Reference: Hindustan Standard 17. 12. 1971