'Obama spoke of sanctions against Iran on the nuclear issue, but not a word against Israel on the same count. The US itself has been continuing an economic sanction and blockade of Cuba for several decades now,' said Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, adding, 'That is American universality'.
Referring to Obama's address to Parliament, Sitaram Yechury said the universal values of democracy and human rights as portrayed by the US President should be 'applied universally'.
'He (Obama) spoke on the rights of the people of Myanmar. We too have been demanding the release of jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the US President did not speak about the human rights of the Palestinian people or the 'continued massacre' of the Iraqi people, pti reported quoting Yechury.
“The United States has put India on 'probation' in the UN Security Council and would decide on supporting its claim for permanent membership only after New Delhi 'toes its line', the CPI(M) alleged.
'India has been put on probation by the US for two years, as our term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council has just begun.
'Washington will determine its stand on our (claim for) permanent membership on the basis of positions India takes on issues like Myanmar and Iran. 'Toe our line, then we will decide' is the clear message to India,' CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said on the visit by President Barack Obama.
He said India should strive for permanent membership 'on its own strength and not depend on anyone. We should do it on the basis of an independent foreign policy and not as a junior ally of the US'.
Relations between India and the US should be based on mutual benefit but not on the basis of 'selective application of universal values', he said.
On Pakistan, Yechury said Obama visited India only after signing an assistance of almost USD 2 billion to Islamabad as Washington considers it a crucial ally to fight Taliban in Afghanistan.
Yechury said the Presidential visit was primarily aimed at opening up markets in Asia, particularly India, 'to protect the US economy and create jobs there. It was also intended to take Indo-US strategic relationship further and draw India closer to the US on security and military matters'.
In this context, he referred to the deals relating to nuclear cooperation, sale of military and telecommunication equipment and fighters jet aircraft, besides cooperation in agriculture and said the US was pressuring India to open up retail trade to allow sale of American products here.
'We are seriously concerned as all this would directly affect the livelihood of the people. Obama administration's stand on outsourcing clearly implies that curtailment of job opportunities in India will boost job opportunities in US'.
Yechury said it was 'worrisome' that the communiqué issued after the Obama visit 'endorsed the earlier pressures' on India to open up its market for American agricultural products and 'dilute' the safeguards that exist now.
This was happening particularly when Indian agriculture was in a serious crisis and farmers were suffering and committing suicide, he said.
Observing that the US was also pushing to get the Indian Air Force (IAF) orders for 126 fighter jets, he said, 'They will sell us some equipment and then sell similar ones to Pakistan and give them aid to buy them. That would also increase hostilities between the two neighbours'.
Regarding the lifting of ban on some Indian firms from acquiring dual-use and other sensitive high-technology equipment from the US, the CPI(M) leader said Department of Atomic Energy still remained in that list, though some others have been removed from that list.
'We want to ask the UPA government that does the removal of some Indian companies from this US list implies that India would have to buy American equipments. Is it a quid pro quo? The government must reply', he said.
Yechury and CPI (M) leader in Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharia said the government has promised to make suo motu statements on the Obama visit as well as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visits abroad.
They said the Left parties would raise several issues during the current session of Parliament, especially those concerning corruption in Adarsh Housing Society, Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum allocation.
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