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We will never compromise on LoC: PM
By K. Balchand
The Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, having a word with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, at a function to launch the Ganga Rail bridge construction work in Patna on Sunday. - PTI
PATNA, FEB. 3. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said the issue of return of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) would top the agenda of any talks with Islamabad, but it would not be a precondition for talks.
Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating three railway projects here, he ruled out the possibility of treating the Line of Control as the International Border emphasising that he would never compromise on the LoC.
The Prime Minister, however, said he was ready for talks with Pakistan provided it immediately gave up sponsoring terrorist and subversive activities in India, like the one in Hazaribagh where the American center was attacked.
He said India wanted good relations with all its neighbours as strained relations affected the people on either side of the border. ``We are not at war with the people of Pakistan. It is the army which is ruling. But friendship cannot be one-sided.''
To a question whether the United States was tilting towards Pakistan, he said both New Delhi and Washington were well aware of each other's disposition and Pakistan would not come between them.
He described as ``ridiculous, baseless and fantastic'' the accusations of Pakistan regarding the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, and the alleged involvement of Indian officials in the kidnapping of the U.S. journalist, Daniel Pearl in Pakistan.
Mr. Vajpayee said the Government was actively considering bringing an amendment to give scheduled caste status to the most backward among Muslims.
A PTI report said Mr. Vajpayee favoured furnishing of details by members of Parliament and State legislatures of their local area development funds to their respective parties.
He said he had already advised the BJP MPs and MLAs to give the details of the amounts sanctioned and status of execution of the schemes.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the construction work on the Rs. 643 crore railway bridge over the Ganga connecting Patna with Sonepur, launched the commissioning of the Patna-Mughalsarai electrified route by flagging off a model rail engine called mainline electric multiple unit and also laid the foundation stone for electrification of the Patna-Gaya section _ all with the touch of a button through multi-point teleconferencing from Gandhi Maidan.
`Desist from raising security-related issues'
PTI reports:
Addressing a public meeting here, the Prime Minister asked the Opposition parties to desist from raking up contentious security-related issues as the Indo-Pakistan border stand-off had triggered an ``undeclared emergency-like situation''. ``Emergency situations demand emergency measures.....We cannot continue to haggle infinitely over the prices of military equipment when the country's sovereignty is at stake,'' he said in an apparent reference to the recent controversy over the purchase of coffins for Kargil martyrs.
Referring to the Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's handshake with him at the SAARC summit, he said no shaking of hands could end the chill in the two countries' ties ``unless our hearts meet''.
``I told General Musharraf after the famous handshake
in Kathmandu that we have shaken hands many times in the past but what purpose can they serve unless our hearts meet too?''
On the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, he said Ayodhya was not an issue and no party should make it a poll plank. He favoured a settlement of the dispute through mutual agreement between the two groups or through a court verdict.
On whether the U.P. poll results would have an impact on national politics, he said the results would ``have an impact not only on national but international politics also''.Special package for Bihar
The Prime Minister rejected the Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi's demand for according special status to the State, but assured that the Centre would provide a special financial package to Bihar to cope with the revenue losses due to its bifurcation for the creation of Jharkhand State.
He also refuted the Chief Minister's allegation that the Centre was discriminating against Bihar and suggested that the State utilise Central funds properly.Earlier, Mr. Vajpayee arrived here on a five-hour visit amid unprecedented security in view of the threat perception. He was accompanied by the Union Ministers George Fernandes, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, C.P. Thakur, Vijay Kumar Goel, Ravishanker Prasad and Rajiv Pratap Rudi. He was received at the airport by the Bihar Governor V.C. Pande, the Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, and the Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, among others.
After completing his engagements in the city, the Prime Minister left for New Delhi.
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