US official reacts to Elon Musk's remark on India's permanent UNSC seat

In January, billionaire Elon Musk said that India not having a permanent seat at the UNSC is “absurd”.

The United States has reacted to the issue of the permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for India, which was raised by earlier this year. The US offered its support for reforms to the United Nations' institutions “to make it reflective of the 21st-century world."

During a press briefing, a journalist asked US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel his government's views on Elon Musk's statement highlighting the lack of a permanent seat for India at the UNSC.

Responding to the query, Vedant Patel said, "The President has spoken about this before in his remarks to the UN General Assembly, and the Secretary has alluded to this as well. We certainly support reforms to the UN institution, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world that we live in. I don't have any specifics to offer on what those steps are, but certainly, we recognise that there is a need for reform, but I will leave it at that for now."

In an X post, the Tesla CEO said, "At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies. Problem is that those with excess power don't want to give it up. India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd. Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its election manifesto titled “Sankalp Patra” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the country, where the party vowed to pursue permanent membership for the country in the United Nations Security Council.

The BJP highlighted in its election manifesto, “We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharat's position in global decision-making.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in January talked about the growing support India is receiving when it comes to seeking a permanent seat at the UNSC. He said, “With each passing year, the feeling in the world is that India should be there, and I can feel that support...The world does not give things easily and generously; sometimes you have to take them.”