Disclose Indo-China talk issues: BJP to Centre

Bhopal, July 1: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh today demanded that the Centre should disclose the issues being discussed during the ongoing Indo-China talks.

''The BJP was of the view that we should have better relations with our neighbours but it was also necessary that Parliament should be taken into confidence and the issues relating to the country's security figuring in the bilateral talks should be made known,'' Mr Singh told reporters here.

He said the BJP welcomed the Indo-China talks even though the people of the country could never forget the 1962 war.

He suggested that China's strategic agreement with Pakistan should be raised during the talks since China had supplied such weapons to Pakistan that had changed the security scenario impacting not only India but the whole world.

''Threat perception in the Indian sub-continent arose after China supplied cruise missiles and other weapons to Pakistan, which reciprocated by facilitating to set up strategic naval base,'' he said.

''The China-Pakistan agreement strengthened the apprehension of attempts to besiege the Indian Ocean and the Centre should immediately take effective steps,'' the BJP leader cautioned.

Mr Singh said China should take into consideration the fallout of any security-related agreement. Commenting upon China's alleged attempt to divert Sutlej river flow, Mr Singh said, ''The Centre should immediately intervene and take up the issue during the current talks.'' He strongly opposed Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's suggestion to demilitarise Jammu and Kashmir and for joint management of Jammu.

''It is an attack on our privacy and it was not befitting for the Pakistan President to make such proposals,'' Mr Singh said.

He said India should not hold talks with Pakistan until the latter fulfilled the terms of the agreement reached with the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in January 2004.

The BJP leader apprehended that the closed-door Indo-China official-level talks were being held at the instance of Left Parties, who were naturally inclined towards China.

He welcomed restoration of democracy in Nepal. India could have avoided crucial development had it intervened in time when the monarchy was on the wane, he said.

UNI