It will be token Cong. presence at tea party

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 12. The Congress today made it clear that though it would not boycott the tea party at the Pakistan High Commission on July 14, none of its senior leaders would attend it.

After its flip-flop on whether or not to attend the high tea, being hosted in honour of the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the party leadership was veering around to the idea of a token presence. Emerging from a meeting of his party leaders with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Congress leader, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, said ``somebody from the party will attend,'' and all indications were that it would be ``someone'' from the Congress foreign affairs cell.

The main opposition party, it seems, did not want to be seen at odds with the Government thinking, as no one from the ruling National Democratic Alliance was expected to be present at the tea party. The Congress also said it shared the Government's view that there was no place for the All-Party Hurriyat Conference in the summit talks between the Indian and Pakistani Heads of Government. ``We are for talks with all sections of Kashmiri people, irrespective of their views, but we firmly believe that there is no place for any third party during the summit,'' said Mr. Mukherjee.

Earlier, a five-member delegation, led by the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, held a 55-minute meeting with Mr. Vajpayee, as part of the consultation exercise of the Government. Besides the Prime Minister, the Government was represented by the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, the External Affairs and Defence Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Brajesh Mishra.

According to Mr. Mukherjee, the Government indicated that though the agenda for the talks would be decided by the two leaders during their discussions, the summit would cover all important issues - political, economic, nuclear - and not just Kashmir.

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