D. Raja takes on Modi, calls for national consensus on foreign policy

Taking potshots at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the UPA Government's foreign policy, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Sunday said there is a need to be serious while discussing the foreign policy matters.

Raja, however, said the Government of India should rework its foreign policy taking into account the problems with the neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.

"Definitely, there are problems. We have problems with Pakistan, we have problems with China, we have problems with Sri Lanka. It is a fact and the Government of India should rework its foreign policy," said Raja.

"But the way Mr. Modi is criticizing the government is not proper thing because what is that Mr. Modi is offering, what is his suggestion, what is BJP's suggestion. If you go by the words of Mr. Modi then India should wage a war against our neighbours," he added.

To a poser on Modi slamming the UPA's 'biryani' foreign policy, Raja said these are all absurd rhetoric.

"This is a public meeting speech and absurd rhetoric. When you discuss foreign policy matters, you should be serious. Foreign policy matter is not the monopoly of one party, which is in power whether it is Congress Party or the BJP. Our foreign policy used to be a policy evolved on the basis of consensus," said Raja.

"Now, if at all that consensus is broken; it is broken by Congress, it was broken by BJP. Now, we should strive for a national consensus and we should strive for an independent foreign policy," he added.

Launching a frontal attack on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh over the Centre's Pakistan policy in the wake of killing of five Indian jawans along the Line of Control (LoC), Modi earlier this evening alleged that national security is being ignored due to 'vote bank politics'.

"This government of Delhi cannot provide security to the nation. This government, neck deep in vote bank politics, cannot provide security to our nation... When the Indian jawans were beheaded, the Prime Minister had said that Pakistan will be accounted for it," said Modi.

"Now when the Pakistani Army, this week, shot dead our jawans, I want to ask the Prime Minister...he had made the promise that we will not tolerate such things. What is the reason that a country of 125 crore is silently tolerating when Pakistan is going back on its promise one by one?" he added.

Modi also lashed out at External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for hosting a lunch in honour of former Pakistani Prime Minister Raza Pervez Ashraf in Jaipur during his personal visit to Ajmer Sharif Dargarh earlier in March this year.

"Indian Foreign Minister went to Jaipur and fed guests from Pakistan Biryani... he said it was protocol. What protocol should we follow with people whose countrymen have cut off the heads of our soldiers?" he asked, while addressing a rally in Hyderabad.