NEW DELHI: A Lok Sabha member on Monday said Russia should not be seen as completely at fault for what is happening in Ukraine.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made the remarks in the House during Zero Hour, clarifying a statement he had made in his personal capacity earlier that was expunged.
Dubey earlier had referred to the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine during a discussion on the demand for grants for the road transport ministry, but his remarks was expunged by Speaker Om Birla.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury objected to Dubey's remarks and countered him, but Birla said both the leaders' remarks would not go on record.
Clarifying the remarks that were expunged, Dubey said, "I had said China is trying to control our markets and our entire defence mechanism is trying to protect that. That is why a large part of our budget is being spent on China." He said the British had facilitated an agreement under which Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet were buffer states between India and China.
"The USSR's situation was similar to this and when different countries were created out of it, there was an agreement it had with Ukraine that it would never become a member of the NATO.
It (Russia) saw what happened to India after Tibet became a part of China. The Indian government follows the path of non-violence, but what is happening in Ukraine, Russia should not be seen as completely at fault," he said.
Referring to his expunged remarks, he said the matter should be settled and a wrong message should not go as it was a foreign policy issue.
India has not condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.