The Congress on Thursday suggested that the BJP is deviating from the Atal Behari Vajpayee line on peace measures with Pakistan while rejecting the saffron party’s demand to call off the prime ministerial level talks with Pakistan in New York. It also said the terror strike in Jammu is an attempt to derail the peace process and wondered whether the saffron party also wanted the same. Party spokesperson Raj Babbar and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh also reminded the BJP of the Lahore bus journey initiative by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpyee and continuation of the Indo-Pak talks after the Kargil war during that regime. The reactions of the Congress came as the main Opposition upped the ante demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cancel the meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York on Sunday. “The party (BJP), which is saying so is only reflecting politics and haste behind it. Even the terrorists do not want that talks are held. If some more people are saying, they should think... Should we accept what the terrorists want. We will not allow this to happen,” Mr Babbar told reporters here. He also said that “We should have faith in the wisdom of the Prime Minister and external affairs minister... You should have patience. Let the PM come back. Let the PM say something. We will understand what are his views.” Mr Babbar said that Mr Vajpayee had also gone to Lahore but the Congress did not question why he went there. “Who are opposing PEACE AND DIALOGUE Only militants, BJP and drawingroom hawks and some hawkish elements in the media,” Mr Digvijay Singh tweeted. He categorically said that “dialogue is the only way to tackle issues”. Asking Pakistan to identify the rogue elements, Mr Singh also noted that both the countries were “victims of terror” and should come together to fight the menace instead of blaming each other. “(We) condemn militant attack in Jammu (region). Pakistan and India both (are) victims of terror (and) must come together to fight (the menace) instead of blaming each other. They should also identify the rogue elements in the establishment and effectively purge them. Dialogue is the only way to tackle issues,” he tweeted. Mr Singh said that the kind of militancy and terror activities being witnessed in India are also happening in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh and hence, there is a need for all such countries to come together and make a common strategy to finish off terrorism.
