Cancel dialogue till Pak acts against terror: BJP to govt

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted the dialogue with Pakistan would continue despite the terror attack in Jammu, the BJP said the UPA government should cancel the bilateral talks.

“Terrorists attack India at will. The PM is in a hurry to start dialogue with Pakistan. There should be no talks with Pakistan unless there is a conducive environment,” BJP president Rajnath Singh said. His colleague Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “No dialogue over dead bodies. Cancel your meeting with Nawaz Sharif.”

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi opened his rally in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu, with two minutes of silence for those killed.

“I want to ask you something. When our soldiers and innocent citizens are being killed day and night, and terrorists keep troubling us, in such a scenario is it not a hasty decision by the central government to hold talks with Pakistani leaders?”

The Congress, on its part, said the terror strike was an attempt to derail the peace process and wondered if the saffron party wanted the same.

“The timing of the attack clearly indicates the people behind it don’t want the peace process. Does the BJP also want the same?” asked Ajay Maken, the party’s communication department chief.

BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, “What is the point of talking to a (Pakistan) government that is so crippled? Therefore, I say call off bilateral talks.”