Indo-Pak joint statement a 'huge blow' to foreign policy: BJP

Bangalore, Aug 1 (PTI) India's main opposition party
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday said United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government had dealt a "huge blow" to the basic
tenets of India's foreign policy by delinking terror from
talks with Pakistan and asked it come out with a "contingency
plan to undo the damage."

Continuing to target the government on the joint
statement issued at Sharm-el Sheikh in Egypt, BJP President
Rajnath Singh said, "The UPA Government has dealt a huge blow
to the basic tenets of our national foreign policy by
delinking talks from terror and allowing Pakistan to accuse
India of interference in Balochistan."

"The UPA government should immediately stop shifting
goalposts and come up with a contingency plan to undo the
damage done to fundamentals of India's diplomacy and foreign
policy," he told reporters here.

Asked whether references to Balochistan and delinking
terror from talks with Pakistan in the joint statement were
made under "international pressure", he said "this possibility
cannot be ruled out."

"Our government is under pressure from the US due to
Indo-US nuclear pact," he said to a pointed query whether the
pressure could be from the US.

He said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement
in Parliament on the joint statement was not only "inadequate
and vague" but even failed to address key concerns expressed
by the BJP and other parties.

Asked to elaborate what contingency measures BJP would
suggest, Singh said "the government should decide it in
consultation with the opposition parties". PTI MSR
DDC
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