The Hindu : Front Page : An unprecedented capitulation, says BJP

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Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006
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An unprecedented capitulation, says BJP

Special Correspondent

India-Pakistan anti-terrorism mechanism is a trap that could give Pakistan a foothold "It has wiped out in one stroke all that had been achieved by India in its war against terror through years of hard work with the international community, and bilaterally with Pakistan"

Yashwant Sinha

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday sharpened its criticism of the September 16 joint statement, issued in Havana by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, saying that it was "an unprecedented capitulation of India before Pakistan on the issue of cross-border terrorism."

It categorically stated, "resumption of the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries in the background of increased violence from Pakistan is not acceptable to us."

Speaking on behalf of the party, the former External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, said that the statement had obliterated the distinction between the aggressor and the victim of terrorism. He hinted that some forces that "could have been American" might have pressured the Prime Minister.

Rejecting the proposed India-Pakistan joint mechanism for supervision and monitoring of terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP saw in this a trap that could give Pakistan a foothold in the Srinagar valley. Mr. Sinha linked this proposal to the reported "non-paper" that was presented by India to Pakistan through back channel diplomacy. That "non-paper", Mr. Sinha said, was being talked about in Pakistan and envisaged "joint control" over Jammu and Kashmir. If this "non-paper" does not exist, the Government of India should come up with a firm denial, he added.

On Monday night at the residence of the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, some senior BJP leaders met. The party president Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, Mr. Sinha, another former Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh, and former Cabinet Minister Arun Shourie participated in the deliberations on the subject of the Havana joint statement.

Mr. Sinha said the Prime Minister's explanatory remarks on board the aircraft while on his way home were also discussed. Mr. Sinha's remarks and statement were the result of the party's deliberations on the issue.

"The BJP disagrees completely with the latest approach of the Government," he said. The party's view was that somehow the joint statement had brought Jammu and Kashmir into focus while relegating cross-border terrorism to the background. "It has wiped out in one stroke all that had been achieved by India in its war against terror through years of hard work with the international community, and bilaterally with Pakistan," Mr. Sinha said.

Need utmost caution

Asked whether the BJP was in favour of ending the composite dialogue with Pakistan, Mr. Sinha replied in the negative. But, he insisted that when dealing with Pakistan utmost caution has to be taken.

Mr. Sinha was asked why between 1999 and 2004 the Vajpayee government had flip-flopped between furthering the dialogue and peace process with Pakistan and indulging in sabre-rattling by turns. While the BJP has said that a dialogue with Pakistan cannot take place while terrorist acts continue unabated, Mr. Sinha was reminded that Mr. Vajpayee himself had offered "a hand of friendship" to Gen. Musharraf after the Kargil episode, and the attack on Parliament had not completely frozen the composite dialogue.

Mr. Sinha said that what Dr. Manmohan Singh has done had taken us back from the gains made in Islamabad on January 6, 2004 when Gen. Musharraf had committed his government to not allowing territory under its control to be used for terror attacks against India. Now, on the other hand, India had acknowledged that the Pakistan President might not be in control of terrorists and the Inter Services Intelligence masterminding terror attacks. "When on 18 April 2005 the two leaders [Mr. Singh and Gen. Musharraf] stated jointly that they will not allow terrorism to impede the peace process, it was an open invitation to terrorists to continue with their violent activities," Mr. Sinha said.

Finally, without explaining exactly what the party would do, Mr. Sinha said, "the BJP will not remain a mute spectator."

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