Ceasefire violations: Azad slams government

Hitting out at the government for "failing" to respond adequately and effectively to ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said it has emboldened the neighbouring country to perpetuate tension in the border areas.

The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said deaths of jawans and civilians on the borders have become a "regular feature" ever since the NDA Government has come to power at Centre.

Reminding the BJP leadership of its pre-election rhetoric on the subject, Azad asked why the ceasefire violations have not come to an end after the NDA Government came to power, as was promised so ostentatiously by the Prime Minister before the Lok Sabha elections.

He said the "failure" of the NDA Government is visible in the light of the BSF Director General's statement in August that firing and shelling on the International Border with Pakistan was the "heaviest" after the 1971 war.

While condemning Pakistani forces for repeated ceasefire violations, Azad said the Centre has "failed to respond proportionately, adequately and effectively which probably has emboldened Pakistani forces to perpetuate tensions, thus creating hardships for people residing in border areas".

"It seems that Pakistan is taking the new government non-seriously and is hell bent on creating tension in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir", said Azad.

The senior Congress leader said NDA Government's Pakistan policy is marked by "inconsistencies and flip-flops of weird proportions, as one day it is over zealously enthusiastic about talks, and the other day it raises shrill jingoistic clamour for war," and added that the people of the country are wise enough not to lose sight of the "manipulative politics" being played by BJP.


Criticising the Government for its "overzealous overtures" to court Pakistan by exchanging sarees and shawls and laying red carpet for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif even before taking oath, Azad said the "misconceived and incoherent Pakistan policy driven by electoral calculations has emboldened Pakistani forces to indulge in misadventures and that the response of the Government has been marked by ineffectiveness and vacillation".

"I want to remind the BJP and its leadership that people of the State are wise enough to see through their tantrums and will not get perpetually be-fooled by their double-speak.

"BJP's strong anti-Pakistan noises within the country and sending of emissaries like Ved Pratap Vedik to Pakistan to hobnob with hardcore and known anti-India elements like Hafiz Sayed is being keenly watched by the people," he said.

Azad said border people have always suffered during the BJP rule be it during Kargil war of 1999, border build-up of 2001, or the current spate of relentless ceasefire violations, and added that following massive build-up of 2001, it took many years for the UPA Government to restore normalcy in the border belt.

The Congress leader also said that the government's China policy has been "lacklustre and uninspiring", in view of the regular incursions by People's Liberation Army of China in Ladakh.

Lambasting the Centre, Azad said that what "can be more galling and embarrassing than the fact that Chinese forces intrude into our territory when their President Xi Jinping is on an official visit to India and yet our Prime Minister cringes to extend protocol and spreads Gujarati dishes for him on the table".