NDA government played into hands of Pakistan on talks issue: Congress

New Delhi:  Congress today charged the NDAgovernment with having played into the hands of Pakistan onthe NSA-level talks issue and giving the neighbouring countryan opportunity to wriggle out of a dialogue on terror.

"Unfortunately, the Government of India has played intoits (Pakistan's) hands by being imprecise, by beingunprepared, by lacking focus, by being ad hoc, by not doingsufficient hard-nosed groundwork, good old-fashioned diplomacyand preparation.

"We are very sad that all the gains of the last 10-oddyears on Indo-Pak settlement of at least some issues, aregiven a setback by such aborted talks. No such opportunityshould have been given to Pakistan to wriggle out of asserious an issue as terror," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

He said with people scoring debating points across theborder after NSA-level talks were aborted by Pakistan lastnight, it was not a good sight for the solidity of Indianforeign policy, which is based on coherence, continuity andconsistency.

"I think the government needs to get its house in order.It needs to make sure that multiple agencies which suddenlyappear to have started making Indian foreign policy, eitherthe multiplicity is eliminated or complete unity and coherenceare introduced in all those multiple agencies to speak throughone agency and in one voice," he said.

He lamented that the vissisitudes of Indian domesticpolicy should not have allowed to make a mockery of India'sstatus in the world due to its proud democratic status and itshumongous economic power.

"We depricate the ham-handed manner in which severalaspects which I have elaborated have been handled by thegovernment," Singhvi said.

Attacking Pakistan, he said it is clear and certain thatit wants to run away from all issues relating to terrorism asit does not want any discussion on any issue or exchange ofinformation, particularly on those serious matters on which itcan be cornered.

He said it is also certain that Pakistan is again tryingto divert, bring new issues as it has been doing so in thepast and it has done so now too.

"Certainly, Pakistan's goal is very clear. We condemn it,"the Congress leader said, adding that Pakistan is clearlyusing the refuge of technicalities to avoid talk on terror.
 
Singhvi also criticised Pakistan for using certain wordsin its statement last night which were not part ofinternational diplomacy or foreign policy.

"The use of language by Pakistan in yesterday's statement,words like 'fake' and 'concocted', I don't feel anyone hasseen the use of such words in international diplomacy. Theseare not words in diplomacy, foreign policy or internationaldiplomacy," he said.

He said it was "very unfortunate" that the Indiangovernment due to less preparation and research and withoutsolid plans, allowed Pakistan's plot to succeed.

"They should have been alert on this and should have hadprior planning on Pakistan's possible response. Therefore,such a plan should have been put in place so that Pakistancould not have said no to talks on terror," he said.