NEW DELHI, Aug 18 — Calling May 19 coup in Fiji as a “criminal endeavour”, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today assured the deposed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, that India would intensify international action for the restoration of democracy in the island nation, including raising the issue at the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

Emerging from a 40-minute meeting with Mr Chaudhry, who was here on a 10-day visit, the Prime Minister said: “India stands for a multi-racial, constitutional and democratic order in Fiji. We will continue our efforts and intensify international action in this direction”.

Mr Vajpayee said he had held detailed discussions with Mr Chaudhry and “we covered a lot of ground regarding the recent events in Fiji”.

New Delhi continued to describe Mr Chaudhry as Fiji’s Prime Minister. Mr Chaudhry and his Cabinet colleagues were held hostage for eight weeks in Parliament House in Suva by rebel leader George Speight. An interim government was now calling the shots in Fiji with Speight behind bars.

“We condemn the criminal act of taking hostage of an elected Prime Minister of a democracy. Subsequent developments are a continued cause of concern”, Mr Vajpayee said.

Responding to questions, Mr Vajpayee said: “The first and foremost thing is that there should be international pressure for the restoration of democracy”.

Mr Vajpayee said the countries which believed in democracy and practiced it “should come forward now and should help in the restoration of democracy in Fiji”.

He said India would raise the issue at the UN and the Commonwealth. Mr Vajpayee was leading the Indian delegation to the Millennium Summit in New York commencing on September 6.

Mr Chaudhry, Fiji’s first ethnic Indian Premier, thanked Mr Vajpayee and the Indian Government for unstinted support for the swift return of democracy and constitutional role in Fiji.

Mr Chaudhry said he had held “useful” discussions with Mr Vajpayee and the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh. “I look forward to India’s support, as it has shown already, till such time democracy and constitutional role returns to Fiji”, he said.

New Delhi had greeted with a sense of relief the decision of Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs to release Mr Chaudhry and his colleagues last month after being held hostage since May 19.

Suggesting formation of a National Unity government in Fiji as a way out to end the present political crisis, Mr Chaudhry asked India to play a “more assertive role” for protecting the rights of people of Indian origin.