The Times of India News Service
Times of India
June 13, 1999
Title: Plain-speaking from PM Author: The Times of India News Service Publication: Times of India Date: June 13, 1999 NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee gave ``a piece of his mind'' to Pakistan foreign minister Sartaj Aziz on the happenings in Kargil when the latter called on him on Saturday. ``He (Vajpayee) feels almost outraged at the betrayal of his bus journey to Lahore and other initiatives and conveyed this to Mr Aziz,'' informed sources said after Mr Vajpayee met some opposition leaders over dinner to brief them on the situation in Kashmir and the talks he had with Mr Aziz during the day. Sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the meeting with Mr Aziz was ``one-sided'', with Mr Vajpayee doing most of the talking. The opposition was told of how Mr Aziz was cut short at one stage when he (Mr Aziz) said that infiltration was a two-way traffic along the Line of Control. ``What do you mean both sides...?'' was how Mr Vajpayee retorted. He added that this was not infiltration in the normal sense of the term and that it had been pre-planned and organised. All this, when the Vajpayee Government had taken the initiative to improve relations. The opposition quarters reacted with approval to the tough stance that the government adopted at the talks. In the prevailing situation, the government went along with the opposition parties which virtually set the tone for the talks. Critical of the government's handling of the crisis, they have said that India should conduct a single-point dialogue on a timetable for withdrawal of the Pakistani soldiers and sponsored infiltrators. With the conflict in Kashmir likely to prolong for some more weeks, the country may have an unprecedented scenario of an election campaign taking place alongside the booming of guns on the border. Both the ruling alliance and the opposition are unsure of the political fall-out of this when the elections, scheduled for September-October, take place. Attending the dinner with the opposition leaders were defence minister George Fernandes and Brajesh Mishra, national security adviser to the Prime Minister. External affairs minister Jaswant Singh briefed the opposition leaders, but did not stay for dinner as he leaves for China on Sunday. Others who attended the dinner were former Prime Minister I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Marxist leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet and CPI general secretary A B Bardhan.
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