Obama backs India's quest for permanent UNSC seat

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) US President Barack Obama Monday
announced support for India's quest for permanent membership
of a "reformed" UN Security Council (UNSC) "in the years
ahead", as he wrapped up his three-day state visit.
His widely-awaited endorsement of India joining the
elite club of five permanent members of the UNSC came in the
course of 35-minute address to members of both Houses of
Parliament and was greeted with thunderous thumping of desks.
The announcement is seen as a diplomatic gesture
although it was clear that the reform of the Security Council
is going to be a long and tedious process. With that in mind,
Obama pointedly used the expression "in the years ahead".
In a forthright speech, Obama, however, appeared to be
critical of India for not supporting sanctions against Iran
over its nuclear programme and not speaking out over human
rights abuses in Myanmar where New Delhi has a good
relationship with military rulers.