The Hindu : Dialogue with Pak. not possible: BJP chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 22, 2002

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Dialogue with Pak. not possible: BJP chief

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD MAY 21. The BJP president, Jana Krishnamurthy, has ruled out the scope for a dialogue with Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism, as all persuasive measures till now had not yielded result.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said the people were not prepared to brook the problem any more and wanted the Government to take appropriate steps "for a final settlement'' of the issue.

The Government was aware of the people's expectations and would act accordingly. India would not shy away from war if imposed on it by Pakistan.

Mr. Krishnamurthy said talk of a dialogue by Pakistani leaders at this juncture was ridiculous. There was no need for a dialogue if Pakistan wanted to control terrorism.

He was glad the Opposition parties pledged support to the Government for whatever action it deemed fit to take. The country stood unitedly behind the Government. The steps so far taken were in preparation for a "sustained action'', he said adding that even the United States took 45 days after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center to wage a war against Afghanistan.

The BJP president said the U.S. was "adopting double standards" in advising patience and restraint for India. To a question, he said there was no threat of third-party intervention in the Kashmir dispute in the event of India taking any precipitate action against Pakistan. India waged three wars against Pakistan, which had not led to any such intervention, he contended.

Mr. Krishnamurthy said the Congress and other Opposition parties could not succeed in their attempts to destabilise the NDA Government.

There was no threat to the Government as nobody wanted it to go. The communist parties were totally marginalised. Jyoti Basu should reconcile to the position of being a Prime Minister-in-waiting eternally, he said

He said the BJP had taken up expansion of its base in many States so that it could muster a strength of 300 Lok Sabha seats on its own in the next election and gain a two-thirds majority with the NDA allies.

He did not agree with the view that the BJP's expansion in Andhra Pradesh would be at the cost of the TDP.

There was a huge base to be covered despite its association with the TDP.

To another question, he said, "We want to cooperate with the TDP to the extent the TDP would cooperate with us."

"We will be as friendly to the TDP as it will be towards us,'' he added.

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