BJP asks PM to withdraw Indo-Pak joint statement

New Delhi: Prime Minister's apparent backtracking on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is not enough for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Former BJP President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday demanded that the Prime Minister withdraw that Indo-Pak joint statement issued at Sharm-el Sheikh.

Terming the statement as unfortunate, Naidu said, "The UPA Government has not taken effective steps to control terrorism. The controversial joint statement clearly indicates that the UPA Government of a big democratic country like India has become a tool in the hands of a small country like Pakistan. So, the UPA Government should withdraw the statement and go for corrective methods to control terrorism,"said Naidu on Monday in Hyderabad.

The BJP also said the UPA Government should not have initiated talks with Islamabad till it fulfilled its promise of dismantling the terror infrastructure on its soil aimed against India.

"The Government is reacting late to the developments. We should not have initiated talks with Pakistan till it fulfilled its promise made in January, 2004 of eradicating terrorist camps on its soil which were spreading terror activities in India," BJP President Rajnath Singh said in New Delhi.

He was asked to react to Prime Minister's statement that fresh terror strikes were expected from groups based in Pakistan.

Singh said BJP had been insisting that no talks with Pakistan were possible till it makes its stand on terrorism aimed against India clear.

Earlier, addressing a sit-in organised by Delhi unit of the party on price rise, he said BJP was in favour of establishing good relations with Pakistan.

"But that is not possible, till Pakistan takes a clear stand on terrorism,"he said. Singh also attacked the UPA Government for signing the joint statement with Pakistan in Egypt.

BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The PM is saying something in Delhi and something else in the joint statement, but what is binding to Pakistan is what is written in the joint statement. Now, we have seen what has happened with Hafiz Saeed and we don't want a repeat."

"Mr Chidambaram is saying that all evidence has been given to Pakistan, Pakistan is saying nothing has been said. If the Government compromises with national interest, we are dutybound to openly speak about it. But the larger question is why did the Government completely change this policy of India's?" he demanded to know.