NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The day belonged to L K Advani
The stage was set in the morning when the Union home minister released the Group of Ministers report on reforming the national security system.
Being chairman of the group, he spoke on the need for a systemic overhaul of the country's security and intelligence apparatus and need for modern management. External Affairs and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presented themselves in solidarity with Advani.
In the evening, he and his party's hard-liners scored a victory when the Vajapayee government announced that the six-month cease-fire in Jammu & Kashmir, ending May 31, would not be extended and invited Pakistan Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf for talks.
A cabinet minister and senior BJP leader told rediff.com, "It is not only party pressures at work. The party believes that the cease-fire has had its share of positives. Border shelling has reduced. The local population on the border has understood that India wants peace and the militants don't. The Hurriyat has been cut to size. They didn't responded positively and the government has noted the larger picture. The government as well as the BJP acknowledges that ab aapko thoda darwajha kulla rakhna padega. (In this situation you have to open your doors a little.). The party and the government have emphasised on security and diplomacy."
Narendra Modi, BJP spokesman, told rediff.com said, "Four days back, the party had requested the government that when considering the cease-fire issue, it should consider the safety of pilgrims for the Amarnath yatra."
However, hard-liners in the BJP are jubilant. The threats to pilgrims could become a major issue in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Modi added, "The party supports the government fully on Kashmir. It is the first time that India is setting the agenda on Kashmir. We are taking the initiative. Now Kashmiris know who stands where. All the Vajapayee government's decisions on Kashmir have had an element of surprise. The Lahore bus yatra, the Ramazan cease-fire and our peace initiative have made Pakistan clueless and restless."
According to an another BJP hard-liner, "If the Hurriyat pressurises Delhi to include Pakistan in talks on Kashmir, why do we need the Hurriyat? This is the message of today's announcement."
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
