The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of a resolution that condemned the violent crackdown in Syria and urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. India supported the Arab League-backed resolution, but made it clear that it was opposed to use of force.
The resolution, adopted by a vote of 137 in favour to 12 against with 17 abstentions, called on Syria "to immediately put an end to all human rights violations and attacks against civilians" resolution. The two countries had vetoed the Arab League-backed resolution in the UN Security Council over a fortnight ago.
The vote, though non-binding in nature, is seen as a strong rebuke to President Bashar al-Assad's continued and bloody crackdown on protesters during the pro-democracy uprising that began in March last year.
Explaining India's vote on the UNGA resolution, India's Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri underlined that while India condemned violence, it opposed any use of force by a third country and advocated a Syrian-led political reconciliation.
