Press Briefing Friday, 16th Jul 2010

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said I wanted to make a mention about our concern while our entire nation is engaged in a relentless crusade against terrorism and the forces of terror, what has now come to light over the last several months, as also through news reports, as late as yesterday, the involvement of senior leaders of RSS - the parent body of BJP with various terror groups and with specific act of terrorism. These are shocking reports which we need to get to the bottom and unearth the whole truth because they have the power through these acts of terror to destabilize our entire society, our constitution and our political system. The BJP was the party that accused the late martyr Hemant Karkare of being unpatriotic when he first started uncovering these unholy links. At the time of arrest of individuals like Sadhvi and Pragya. Even leaders like Shri Advani Ji came to her defence and until yesterday the BJP continues to defend all these leaders and the RSS. We now call upon the RSS to come clean regarding all the links of senior RSS leaders with all such acts of terror and we call upon the BJP to make its stand clear to the nation regarding the terror links of its parent body the RSS.

To a question as to how to unearth the whole truth, Smt. Natarajan said it should be done through a thorough probe by the authorities who are designated by the anti-terror squad, by the Government and whatever authority is competent to go into this. We call for a thorough probe by all relevant Government agencies.

To a question on the reaction of the Congress Party over the visit of Shri SM Krishna, Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan and whether the talks he had with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan were a success, Smt. Natarajan said I do not appreciate the sarcasm of the question as I see Mr. Krishna addressing the   media and he was addressing this very question. He also said that there can be no question of comparing a known terror sponsoring criminal like Hafiz with the Indian Home Secretary. The stand of the Congress Party is that the remarks of Pakistan Foreign Minister were uncalled for, completely unjustifiable and condemnable and our Foreign minister is saying the same thing as I speak.

Smt. Natarajan further said I believe that whatever important mandate was given to our Foreign Minister was carried out in an admirable way. While on foreign soil as a Party, we condemn the statement of the Pakistan Foreign Minister, at the same time reiterating that India's Foreign Minister totally fulfilled India's mandate while conducting himself with utmost dignity and restraint while on foreign soil.

To a charge of Pakistan Foreign Minister that Indian Foreign Minister kept on talking to New Delhi on every matter whereas he had the mandate and authority from his Government, Smt. Natarajan said I certainly would not look for a certificate from the Pakistan Foreign Minister who was accused by the Pakistan press of having totally giving up the interests of Pakistan in yesterday's Press Conference. Therefore, was obviously catering to his domestic constituency. In a press today, his tone at the Press Conference yesterday, except for the remark about Home Secretary of India was totally different reflecting India's success in the talks - particularly on the important issue of Pakistan taking the lead given by the Indian Home Minister and by the interrogation of David Coleman Hadley to its logical conclusion and it was precisely the success of those talks and what was said in the Press Conference yesterday that attracted criticism of the Pakistan Foreign Minister to which he is now trying to set right by addressing particular domestic constituency. Therefore, the success of the talks are to be judged by India's mandate which our Foreign Minister had in full and carried out in full and not by what the Pakistan Foreign Minister says to his own domestic constituency.

To another related question, Smt. Natarajan said it has always been our belief that efforts should be made to bridge the gap and the trust deficit but no serious move or composite dialogue is possible until Pakistan stops all acts of terror directed against India from its soil and also cooperates fully in bringing to books the perpetrators of 26/11.

To a question as to whether there should be future engagements with Pakistan, Smt.  Natarajan said there should always be engagements between countries and neighbors provided, however, in Pakistan's case, cross border terrorism directed against India is stopped and the perpetrators of 26/11 are brought to justice.

On a further question as to whether Mr. Krishna had a limited mandate, Smt. Natarajan said he was not given a limited mandate. He had every mandate.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC