"There was no consensus on the formulation" for such a resolution, External Affairs minister Yashwant Sinha informed the media after a two-hour meeting participated by heads of over 20 political parties including president of the opposition Congress party, Sonia Gandhi.

The opposition, which accused the government of taking a "soft approach" on the issue, insisted on using the word "condemn" for the military action by the US and its allies while the government did not favor it, leaders of the opposition said.

"I am totally dissatisfied with the meeting just because the government wants to please the US," Somnath Chatterjee, leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxism), told the press.

He said the government did not agree to the word "condemn" in a joint resolution against the US aggression. It was, however, not against the use of the word "deplore."

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or Indian People's Party in English, refuted the charge, saying that "there is not hesitation on the part of the government to name the US or anyone else."

The Prime Minister clearly stated that India saw no justification for this military action and that the war was avoidable, and if more time was given to the United Nations weapons inspectors, then the objective of disarming Iraq could have been achieved, Sinha explained to the press.

The Congress said that the war against Iraq violated all accepted canons of international law and needed to be condemned.

The party also insisted that there should be immediate cessation of hostilities against Iraq and whole matter should again be referred to the UN to find a peaceful and honorable solution acceptable to all concerned.

Sinha confirmed that Vajpayee had written to the heads of government of the five permanent member of the UN Security Council before the military action was launched, urging them to harmonize their actions and converge their views to ensure that a peaceful solution had a chance.

In his opening remarks, Vajpayee told the meeting that India has had long-standing friendly ties with Iraq and its people.

At the same time, he added, India's relations with the United States and Britain and others involved in the Iraq crisis were strong, with many dimensions, and were expanding.

The Prime Minister contended that his government had to take the totality of the situation into consideration and craft an approach which was consistent with its principles and long-term national interest.

"Our words, actions and diplomatic efforts should be aimed at trying to achieve pragmatic goals rather than creating rhetorical effect," he told the party leaders, adding that "quite diplomacy is far more effective then public posturing."

"The sovereignty and integrity of Iraq should be fully preserved and so should its secular traditions. Sectarian and ethnic conflict should not be allowed to divide the country," he said.

Ever since the Iraq crisis began, New Delhi insisted that Iraq must fully implement UN Security Council resolution and UN should take charge to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2003)