Bush's 'veiled' threat to Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Government on Tuesday rubbished media reports which suggested that US President George W Bush had 'threatened' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday that India should not vote for Venezuela in the elections for non-permanent members of UN Security Council.

"When two leaders speak to each other, they do not threaten each other," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said while commenting on the news report which said Bush had issued the threat when he called up Singh on Monday evening.

Venezuelan Leftist President Hugo Chavez has been at the fore front of a campaign against the US and President George W Bush.

Sarna said the contents of the discussion between Singh and Bush have already been made available.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said "am I expected to comment on speculative reports on matters which are related to foreign policy decisions? I will not make any comment," he said.

CPI said India should not succumb to 'any intimidation' by the US and "should take independent decisions as we are a sovereign country."

The government should tell the US to "mind its own business", CPI National Secretary D Raja said while commenting on the news report.