ID :
46748
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 15:07
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http://m.oananews.org//node/46748
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Jaswant admits he was against troops mobilisation on Indo-Pak
New Delhi, Feb.20 (PTI) In remarks that could embarass
India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jaswant
Singh, a high-ranking member of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government, has admitted that he was against the decision to
mobilise troops on the Indo-Pak border following the December
11, 2001 attack on Parliament.
"Well, I would certainly not defend Operation
Parakram," Singh, who served as External Affairs and Finance
ministers under Vajpayee, told 'Outlook' magazine.
"I was not in India when the decision was taken, but I
do not wish to say anything more, Singh, who was then External
Affairs minister, said.
This is the first time that the veteran BJP leader,
who is now the leader of the Opposition in the Upper House of
Indian Parliament, has admitted to differences of opinion over
the 2001 troop build-up which nearly brought India and
Pakistan to the brink of a war.
His comments come close on the heels of India's
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee declaring that
"diplomacy has prevailed" following Pakistan's admission that
its soil was used to perpetrate the November 26 terror attack
on Mumbai without troops being deployed, in an obvious
reference to Operation Parakrama.
Singh refused to be drawn into comparing the NDA's
response to the Parliament attack with the UPA's response to
the Mumbai attack.
"Such comparisons are unfair as there is no
equivalence. The attack on Parliament had been preceded by so
much else..the attack on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly,
cross-border terrorism," he said.
The Lahore bus journey of Vajpayee had been followed
by Kargil and then by Kandahar. "Yet, Atalji had got that
commitment from Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan will not permit
its soil to be used for any act of terrorism against India".
He said Pakistan's admission that its nationals were
involved in the Mumbai attacks was due to international
pressure.
"The international community took interest
post-Mumbai only because their citizens were also affected.
That is the harsh reality. Let us not forget that the
Americans are caught in a bind. they have destabilised the
region and are trying to retrieve something for themselves".
He said "if under these circumstances, we begin to
crow victory simply because Pakisstan has made an admission
under US pressure, we are making a terrible mistake".
In the interview, Singh also said that his book on
Mohammed Ali Jinnah was ready "but I do not wish to create a
controversy before the elections. I will release it after the
elections...so when it comes out, I will be ready for a
controversy. Perhaps, we need a controversy to educate the
people". PTI VMN
SAK
NNNN
India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jaswant
Singh, a high-ranking member of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government, has admitted that he was against the decision to
mobilise troops on the Indo-Pak border following the December
11, 2001 attack on Parliament.
"Well, I would certainly not defend Operation
Parakram," Singh, who served as External Affairs and Finance
ministers under Vajpayee, told 'Outlook' magazine.
"I was not in India when the decision was taken, but I
do not wish to say anything more, Singh, who was then External
Affairs minister, said.
This is the first time that the veteran BJP leader,
who is now the leader of the Opposition in the Upper House of
Indian Parliament, has admitted to differences of opinion over
the 2001 troop build-up which nearly brought India and
Pakistan to the brink of a war.
His comments come close on the heels of India's
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee declaring that
"diplomacy has prevailed" following Pakistan's admission that
its soil was used to perpetrate the November 26 terror attack
on Mumbai without troops being deployed, in an obvious
reference to Operation Parakrama.
Singh refused to be drawn into comparing the NDA's
response to the Parliament attack with the UPA's response to
the Mumbai attack.
"Such comparisons are unfair as there is no
equivalence. The attack on Parliament had been preceded by so
much else..the attack on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly,
cross-border terrorism," he said.
The Lahore bus journey of Vajpayee had been followed
by Kargil and then by Kandahar. "Yet, Atalji had got that
commitment from Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan will not permit
its soil to be used for any act of terrorism against India".
He said Pakistan's admission that its nationals were
involved in the Mumbai attacks was due to international
pressure.
"The international community took interest
post-Mumbai only because their citizens were also affected.
That is the harsh reality. Let us not forget that the
Americans are caught in a bind. they have destabilised the
region and are trying to retrieve something for themselves".
He said "if under these circumstances, we begin to
crow victory simply because Pakisstan has made an admission
under US pressure, we are making a terrible mistake".
In the interview, Singh also said that his book on
Mohammed Ali Jinnah was ready "but I do not wish to create a
controversy before the elections. I will release it after the
elections...so when it comes out, I will be ready for a
controversy. Perhaps, we need a controversy to educate the
people". PTI VMN
SAK
NNNN
