India rejects Trump's charge, says signed Paris deal not under duress
Rejecting strongly US President Donald Trump's charge against it on climate deal, India said on Monday it signed the Paris agreement not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect environment.
By : migrator
Update: 2017-06-05 16:00 GMT
New Delhi
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also made it amply clear that India will continue to be a part of the agreement irrespective of whether the US remains in it.
"India signed the Paris climate pact not because of pressure from any country or due to lure of money. Our signature in the pact was not because of greed, it was not because of fear. We signed it due to our commitment to protecting the environment," she said.
Announcing withdrawal of the US from the Paris deal, Trump cited a number of reasons for the decisions and had said, "India makes its participation on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries."
Rejecting Trump's allegation, Swaraj said it was "not the reality".
She asserted that India signed the pact because of Indian culture and ethos.
"This commitment is 5,000 years old. We worship rivers, trees and mountains. This is India's ethos, it is our cultural heritage. If someone says we signed the pact due to lure of money and pressure from someone, it is wrong. I reject both these allegations.
"India will continue to be part of it irrespective of whether the US remains in it or not," the External Affairs Minister said.
Swaraj was replying to questions on the issue at a press conference where she listed the achievements of her ministry in the last three years.
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