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Vajpayee briefs Sonia on border situation

By Javed M. Ansari

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. — Reuters

New Delhi May 19. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today invited the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the senior party leader, Manmohan Singh, for consultation on the border situation.

The two leaders were briefed on the "border situation as well as developments on the diplomatic front''.

Both the Government as well as the Congress were tight-lipped about the details of the meeting. Speaking to presspersons, the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, said the meeting was part of an ongoing exercise, and that the Government would consult other Opposition leaders as well.

The Congress spokesperson, Anand Sharma, said the Government had briefed his party leaders about the evolving situation. "As per conventions, we do not divulge whatever is discussed between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on sensitive issues such as defence.''

Mr. Jaswant Singh refused to spell out the course of action being considered by the Government. "Whatever action has to be exercised will be exercised, but it cannot be discussed with the media.'' The Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, was also present at the meeting.

Mr. Singh refused to be drawn into defining the country's threshold of tolerance. "One cannot define the threshold'', he quipped.

According to sources, the Government, with the Congress choosing to listen, did most of the talking.

Ms. Gandhi had made her party's position clear on the issue in the Lok Sabha. While addressing the House on Friday, she had declared her party's full support to the Government in dealing with the situation, but had also asked it to "act with vision and evolve a comprehensive strategy''.

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