Rahul Gandhi, New Zealand leader discuss security in India

WELLINGTON - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is visiting New Zealand, discussed the security situation in India with a prominent New Zealand leader.

Labour Party foreign affairs spokesman Chris Carter said he discussed the security situation Tuesday night with Gandhi and came away feeling confident India was very aware of the implications of the threats and was taking all possible steps to ensure safety, New Zealand Herald reported Wednesday.

Carter said he was confident Indian authorities had a good handle on the situation.

“My initial thoughts are to go - in fact you have to go - otherwise you give in to the terrorists,” Carter said, referring to the decision that the New Zeakland hockey team would take part in the World Cup that starts in New Delhi Feb 28.

“I think our government and sports bodies need to work closely with the government of India to reassure themselves and their sports people and any New Zealand tourists that are going that every step is being taken to keep people safe,” New Zealand Herald quoted Carter as saying.

Rahul Gandhi is visiting New Zealand as the inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow, a fund set up to recognise the special contribution the conqueror of Mount Everest made to relations between the two countries and Nepal.

The aim of the fellowship is to build a constituency for New Zealand among the emerging leaders of India and Nepal, DPA quoted Prime Minister John Key as saying Tuesday.

He said that India’s leading regional and international status and its economic significance made it strategically important to New Zealand.

He said that Gandhi, making his first visit to New Zealand, would see innovations in the high-tech dairy and livestock industries, visit adventure tourism operations and be shown special features of New Zealand’s educational, science and research institutions during his stay.