Venkaiah Naidu hits out at those suggesting talks with Pakistan

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday hit out at those suggesting dialogue with Pakistan, saying talks with countries who train guns at India are not possible.

His remarks came days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had suggested that talks with Pakistan are necessary to end bloodshed in the state.

"It is baffling that some educated leaders are suggesting that we have to engage in a dialogue with one of our neighbours who is by all accounts fomenting trouble and encouraging cross-border terrorism...we can t have talks with countries that have trained their guns at us," Naidu said without naming Pakistan.

He was addressing a gathering at the Indian Council of World Affairs here.

Naidu said India s love for peace is more out of a concern for the welfare of humanity and not because it is weak and incapable of fighting.

"So, our diplomacy relies on building bridges across the world with dialogue as the sole sustainable method to resolve disputes.

"We are open to conflicting views but we are not so open to senseless violence and irrational terrorism...we have been the pioneers in the non-aligned movement. Our alignment is with the forces of peace and non-violence," he said.

PTI