India rebuts Hagel's allegations of financing problems for Pakistan

New Delhi: India sharply rebutted US Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel's allegations that it has over the years "financed problems" for Pakistan in Afghanistan, saying New Delhi has consistently received support and encouragement from Washington for its constructive role there. Hagel had suggested in a previously unreleased 2011 speech that "India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan" in Afghanistan. He made the remark during a 2011 address on Afghanistan at Oklahoma's Cameron University, according to a video of the speech obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

The video containing the remarks was uploaded by Washington Free Beacon, sparking a strong reaction from the India embassy. "Our embassy in Washington DC has already responded at length on this subject. The government of India has close and frequent discussions with the United States on all issues of mutual interest including on Afghanistan, and we have consistently received support and encouragement from our US partners for our constructive role in Afghanistan," said an official source.

In his 2011 speech, Hagel said: "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border." "And you can carry that into many dimensions, the point being [that] the tense, fragmented relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been there for many, many years."

The Indian Embassy in Washington said the comments attributed to Hagel "who has been a long-standing friend of India and a prominent votary of close India-US relations are contrary to the reality of India's unbounded dedication to the welfare of Afghan people".