Govt should send delegation to Pak over 'atrocities' against

The Indian government should take note of the "atrocities" being carried out against minorities in Pakistan and send an all-party delegation led by the External Affairs Minister to the neighbouring country for discussing the issue, Punjab Congress today said.
"There are frequent reports of atrocities against Hindu, Sikh and Christian minorities in Pakistan. The Centre should take note of it," Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said here.
"The government should send an all-party delegation led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan. Swaraj should meet the President and Prime Minister of the country and discuss the issue with them. I will write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding him to take the step," Bajwa said.

"If the atrocities do not end even after that, the Centre should raise the issue at a proper time and in a proper manner with the United Nations," he added.
Meanwhile, Bajwa criticised the decision of the Punjab government to raise VAT on diesel and cold drink in the state and demanded a roll back.
"The decision is anti-people, anti-farmers and anti-industries and the government should withdraw it immediately," he said.

When asked about senior party leader Amarinder Singh's recent statement that he (Bajwa) was "neither his friend nor his supporter," the Punjab Congress chief said, "He is a king and I am a beggar. He can say whatever he wishes to, I just have to do my work. There should be no discussion on whether he has invited me or not. He is an elder brother and I am the younger brother. It is not necessary that the elder brother does everything after consulting the younger one."

On being asked about not inviting Bajwa to the lunch hosted by Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar in Chandigarh recently, Amarinder had said Bajwa is "neither my friend nor my supporter."
Bajwa was here to attend a meeting of the district Congress.