BHOPAL: President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajnath Singh, on Saturday targeted the UPA Government at the Centre and charged that it had failed on every front. "The UPA Government's role is not in conformity with our country's dignity," he said.

Mr. Singh was addressing newspersons at the state BJP headquarters. He arrived here in connection with the BJP state unit's two-day executive meeting, which began on Saturday.

The BJP president criticised the UPA Government for the "Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal, America's interference in testing Agni III missile, import of wheat and sugar and rising prices."

No foreign minister

Mr. Singh said the country had no full-time Foreign Minister after the resignation of Natwar Singh in the wake of the Volcker report. He alleged that the Left parties were dictating the country's foreign policy through proxy.

The BJP chief questioned the ongoing "close-door" official level talks with China. Stating that "we have not forgotten the 1962 Chinese aggression," Mr. Singh, however, added: "We want better relations with China and would welcome bilateral talks only if the people are taken into confidence on various issues."

Destabilise security

During the talks with China, India should raise the issue of the strategic alliance between China and Pakistan and voice concern over the huge supply of weapons that could destabilise security, especially in the sub-continent.

Mr. Singh said China had supplied long-range missiles to Pakistan, which could target important cities in India. Talking of expansion by the Chinese navy, he said Pakistan had agreed to give naval bases to China. This, he claimed, was a strategic move to surround the Indian Ocean.

Mr. Singh dubbed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's suggestions of demilitarisation, self-rule and joint management of affairs in Kashmir as "an attack on India's sovereignty." With cross-border terrorism continuing and Pakistan doing nothing to curb it, Mr. Singh said there should be no bilateral dialogue until it stopped.

On Nepal, he said the Maoists should not be allowed to share power until they lay down arms completely.

Referring to the issue of price rise, the BJP President said immediate steps were needed to end black-marketing and hoarding of essential commodities.

"Hand in glove"

He charged that the Left parties were hand in glove with the UPA Government, as they criticised it on the streets but supported it in Parliament.

On the fuel price hike, Mr. Singh asked Sonia Gandhi to deny that she was aware of the Rangarajan Committee report before the budget session of Parliament.

He demanded that the UPA Government reduce the Central tax on petroleum products from 56 per cent to anywhere between 20 and 25 per cent, before asking BJP-ruled State Governments to lower sales tax on petrol and diesel.

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