India said it believes that the "leadership of Syria is a matter for the Syrian people to decide."
India's vote in favour of an Arab League-backed resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council was in accordance with its support for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in that country through a Syrian-led inclusive political process.
Noting that the resolution calls for serious political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the opposition, India said it believes that the "leadership of Syria is a matter for the Syrian people to decide."
"It would be necessary for all opposition forces in Syria to peacefully engage in constructive dialogue with the authorities. We hope that this will create a new environment for peace and facilitate a political process.
"This political dialogue should build upon the political reforms already announced by the Syrian leadership with necessary changes so that they find acceptance among all sections of Syrian society," India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, told the 15-member Security Council while explaining the reasons for India's position.
Russia and China last night vetoed the resolution that demanded that all parties in Syria -- both government forces and armed opposition groups -- stop all violence and reprisals.
The resolution had asked Syria to immediately cease all violence and protect its population, release all persons detained arbitrarily, withdraw all military and armed forces from cities and towns and guarantee the freedom to hold peaceful demonstrations.
It had called for "an inclusive Syrian-led political process" conducted in an environment free from violence, fear and intimidation and aimed at effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people.
Hours after the vote on the resolution, Puri told PTI that India's decision on the matter was based on merit and taken independently.
"I think what is correct to say that India took a decision in terms of its own view and how it understood the situation in Syria," he said, responding to criticism that by voting in favour of the resolution India had broken away from China and Russia, which had vetoed it, and sided with the US.
"...we take foreign policy decisions on merits, and we take them independently," Puri said, adding that most of the Indian views were incorporated and its concerns addressed in the Arab League-supported resolution.
Puri said it was very "unfortunate" that Russia and China, the two permanent members of the UN Security Council, vetoed the resolution, which was supported by rest of the 13 members of the most powerful wing of the world body, including the other three permanent members, the US, Britain and France.
In fact, Puri, who had himself been actively involved the entire negotiations process, said that it appeared on February 2 that Russia had agreed with the text of the resolution.
"It appeared on Thursday evening—February 2—that we have a resolution, the text of which was such that looked like all could agree to it," he said.
The resolution had now specifically called for a Syrian-led inclusive political process there, which would be undertaken without prejudging the outcome.
There was a suggestion earlier that President Bashar Assad should step aside, then those who made that suggestion said that in fact they did not have regime change in mind; all that they were saying that the President should hand over some of his powers to his vice-president to facilitate a political dialogue, Puri noted.
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