The Congress Party on Wednesday said “dialogue and discussion” are the only way to resolve disputes with the neighbour, while rejecting the BJP’s criticism of the government over handling of Pakistan affairs.
It told the critics that “war is no solution,” saying “our policy is to have good relations with our neighbour.”
“India wants friendship with all countries. I do not think that the solution to any dispute with our neighbour is war. It is peace and dialogue,” Congress spokesperson P.C. Chacko said.
He also told reporters that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would go ahead with the meeting with his Pakistan counterpart in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meet.
Mr Chacko said that all issues between the two countries could only be solved across the talks table.
“So, the Indian PM and Pakistan PM (Nawaz Sharif) will be meeting (in New York),” Mr Chacko said. Seeking to blunt the BJP’s criticism of the government’s handling of Pakistan affairs, the Congress also released a set to papers detailing trends of infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir during NDA and UPA rule, which showed “substantial reduction” during the latter period.
Mr Chacko said, “The sovereignty of India cannot be compromised. We will not be soft..We will not be found wanting to give a befitting reply to Pakistan...We are committed to defeating this kind of cowardly act against the sovereignty of India. Such dastardly attacks on the sovereignty of India will not be tolerated. India strongly condemns the cowardly act by Pakistan,” he said, while cautioning that any attack from across the border on the sovereignty of India cannot lead to political divides.
The Congress said the NDA period was marked by “foreign policy paralysis” noting that the Lahore declaration signed by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with Pakistan “failed at the time of Kargil war.”
As BJP had again raked up the issue of beheading of Indian soldiers some time ago, the Congress reminded the Opposition party that 16 BSF soldiers were butchered by Bangladeshi forces when an “unplanned and immature” action was mounted under the direction of the then home minister L.K. Advani.
Launching counter offensive against the Opposition for “politicising” defence minister A.K. Antony’s statement on the killing of five Indian soldiers in Poonch, the Congress reminded the BJP what was the outcome of its peace initiatives with Pakistan during NDA rule.