MOSCOW: Though Russia is yet to make any official statement, Kremlin sources said the change of government in India will not have any adverse effect on Indo-Russian relations. WASHINGTON: Congratulating the Congress for its victory, the US said the Bush administration has excellent relations with India and a change of government makes no difference. ‘‘We congratulate the Congress party on their success,’’ State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Thursday. BEIJING: Sino-Indian relations will not receive a setback due to a change of government in India, as the countries have laid a ‘‘firm foundation’’ for the continued improvement and development of ties, scholars from leading Chinese think-tanks said on Friday. LONDON: The Council of Indian Muslims in the UK has described the defeat of the BJP in the general elections as a ‘‘victory of humanity’’ in India. ‘‘By showing the Fascists the way out, Indian masses have displayed maturity and their belief in a secular system and peaceful co-existence of all communities in India,’’ CIM’s chairman, Munaf Zeena said. COLOMBO: Political sources in Sri Lanka said the return of the Gandhi dynasty would appear to be favourable to the country’s ruling freedom alliance, but the dynamics may not still be the same. Meanwhile, Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said in Washington that if the new Congress government raises the question over extradition of Sri Lankan LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, it would have to go through the legal route. LONDON: Maintaining that the Constitution doesn’t bar an Indian citizen of foreign origin from assuming the top post, NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul said on Friday that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should become the next PM. —(Agencies)
