BJP seeks clarifications on 'Siachen settlement'

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party today urged the Government to clarify its Siachen policy, particularly in view of the statement by some "senior officials" of the Government that a settlement of the Siachen issue with Pakistan "is near." Talking to newspersons, former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh said "We have a right to know" the facts on Siachen, more so in the light of statements by the Army that no such 'settlement' ought to be arrived at without due deliberations.

He wondered whether the strategic objectives of the 1984 Government decision to keep the army in Siachen had been achieved since the government was now contemplating evacuating the heights.

Mr Singh in a letter to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on April 24, also expressed his "deep disquiet" and "anguish of the silent, uniformed fraternity" which had a feeling that their sacrifices were not being taken into account while reaching any settlement on Siachen with Pakistan.

The BJP leader cautioned that any settlement without confirming the validity of the Actual Ground Position Line "is not a settlement but a violation of the sanctity of the Line of Control, amounting to a military and diplomatic dilution of the country's stand." He said the deployed positions currently occupied by the Army were not over Siachen but the Saltoro glacier, west of Siachen,where Pakistan had lost substantial number of troops in attempting to dislodge Indian army from that high occupation. "Our position over Saltoro are termed as AGPL".

Mr Jaswant Singh said he was raising this issue as a number of officials had been quoted as suggesting alterations to the AGCL as "almost a done." "This acceptance, (or altering) is what is causing great disquiet in the army," which had suffered many casualties since 1984,he said.

Apprehending that the Government were eager to undo "these gains'' attained by the army for merely appearing 'good' globally, he cautioned the government not to trade national interest for the 'cosmetic of empty approval." Mr Jaswant Singh told Mr Mukherjee that he was not against a settlement over Siachen, but the troops ought to be moved only after the Army was convinced that the 'settlement' recognized and honoured the ''hardship, and the numerous sacrifices of the soldiers since 1984.'' UNI KAS RP GC2041