BJP National President Shri Rajnath Singh's Press
Statement on Joint India-Pakistan Declaration
from Havana.

New Delhi, 17th Sept. The BJP National President Shri Rajanth Singh said in New Delhi today that India should go with double caution on the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue suspended following the July, Mumbai train blasts.

In a statement Shri Rajnath Singh said that there is a total dis-connect between the UPA Govt. and the popular public opinion on terror attacks frequently launched in several parts of India. He further said that the impression might go within the country that the government has forgotten the faces of the terror victims of Mumbai and elsewhere so soon.

The proposed joint mechanism appears to a fig-leaf to cover the concessions made to Pakistan in regard to the resumption of talks.

Shri Rajnath Singh further said that the musical chair-race of keeping talks on hold consequent to recurring terror attacks against Indian citizens and property and then resuming it after a short- while doesn't match with the reality of the situation on the ground.

The BJP President recalled that Gen. Musharraf had given a clear-cut promise to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in January, 2004 not to permit the use of Pakistan's territory for launching terrorist attacks against India. The promise was violated umpteen times. Even during the last two years such commitments had been given to PM Manmohan Singh but the terror attacks did not come to a halt.

The Vajpayee government had begun dialogue with Pakistan after wresting a commitment from Gen. Musharraf, but the UPA Govt. is going for the resumption of dialogue in the face of mounting terror-attacks. Shri Rajnath Singh questioned whether this is being done to please some unseen forces or the coalition partner-specially the Left.

All the more reason, that the trust-deficiet between India and Pakistan and popular perceptions on terror continues as before.

Pakistan must match it by positive action against terror-centres within its own territory.

On Siachen and SIR CREEK, Shri Rajnath Singh said that any negotiation or survey should take into account the security aspects which are crucial to such dialogues as in past all such agreements have resulted into negative security dis-advantage to India.

The BJP President warned that any negotiation on J&K should not be done in a hush-hush manner. The government should take the opposition and the parliament into confidence before proceeding. The government should also remember that there is a unanimous parliament resolution on J&K.

Shyam Jaju
Headquarter Incharge