New Delhi:
India has opposed proposals to create a new category of permanent members in the UN Security Council without veto powers, saying such an arrangement would leave them with second-class status.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, said all permanent members of a reformed Council must have equal rights and responsibilities as long as the veto system continues. India has consistently called for expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership to reflect present-day geopolitical realities. The existing five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — enjoy veto powers.