Congress asks PM to explain Pakistan policy

Finally, the Congress appears to have firmed up its position on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Balochistan, saying it is for the government to take a call on raising the issue of rights violations in the restive region at various international forums.

At the same time, the Congress wants Modi to explain his vision and road map for dealing with neighbours such as Pakistan and take immediate steps to find a solution to the current unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

The iterating of party line by senior leader Anand Sharma came after days of airing of diverse opinions by leaders such as Salman Khurshid, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Randeep Singh Surjewala.

“You cannot, like a pendulum, swing from one extreme to the other,” Sharma said referring to the bonhomie of inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the swearing-in ceremony on May 26, 2014 and the chill in relations later.

Since Modi’s reference to Balochistan in the Independence Day address, Congress leaders have spoken in different voices. Khurshid, Sibal and Tewari had hit out at the prime minister for raking up the issue arguing that it would give Pakistan a handle to corner India.

Surjewala, the chief Congress spokesperson, had dubbed the remarks by senior leaders as “personal views”. The Modi government seized the opportunity and hit out at the Congress for speaking in different voices on strategic issues.