UPA govt draws flak on its foreign policy

Anita Saluja

New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA government's foreign policy, particularly on Chinese incursions into Ladakh and Sarabjit's killing in Pakistan drew flak from BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. While the NDA delegation, under the leadership of L K Advani, met President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday and handed-over a memorandum to him, asking the government to "either govern or go," an infuriated Mulayam Singh, who has been warning the Centre on its weak-kneed China policy, was briefed by Union Ministers and the National Security Advisor.

On the Chinese incursions into Ladakh, the NDA memorandum said that the "arbitrary and unilateral breach" cannot be viewed as normal conduct. It is violative of agreed principles governing the conduct of forces of People's Republic of China (PRC) in respect of the Line of Actual Control.

BJP President Rajnath Singh urged upon the President that instead of the ITBP that reports to Union Home Ministry and not Defence Ministry, the LAC areas should be placed entirely under the command of the Army.

He also made the plea that External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's proposed visit to China should be called-off, as no meaningful dialogue could be held under these circumstances.

The NDA leaders told President Pranab Mukherjee that the incursions could not be termed as "localized" incident, as is being stated by the Prime Minister and the Government. "It is tantamount to a disingenuous evasion of Government's responsibility," stated the memorandum. It said that even if localized in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector or Depsang plains, this manner of unilateral localized actions, resulting in seizure of land, amounts to giving a forcible and physical definition to the LAC.

Recalling the resolution adopted by both Houses of Parliament in November 1962, the NDA delegation reminded the UPA government that silent acquiescence in the face of fait-accompli, whether in Pakistan or China, is unforgivable pusillanimity. "The government must govern, or it must go," it remarked.

On the issue of Sarabjit's killing, NDA Working Chairman L K Advani informed that Sarabjit initially had been given a death sentence, which was commuted to life imprisonment. He said, "Sarabjit had reportedly completed his sentence and had received a condonation of his death sentence, as his execution had been delayed for too long.

We are given to understand that he was due to be released, but held back in Pakistan as a retaliatory gesture." Lambasting the government for inaction, the memorandum sought an explanation and an apology from the UPA government.