As Pakistan sought "more evidence" from India on the 26/11 case and asserted that Kashmir tops the list of key issues, Congress today mounted a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of adopting a "lopsided" policy towards Islamabad.
Referring to comments by Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Mumbai attack case just three days after both the countries agreed to find ways to speed up trial, Congress asked Modi to justify holding a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa in Moscow on Friday.
"It is very clear that Pakistani establishment does not want the perpetrators of Mumbai terror strike to be punished. With this background, where was the justification to have a meeting at the level of two Prime Ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is answerable to the country," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.
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Another party spokesperson RPN Singh too targeted Modi as he said it was "unfortunate that he has been engaging in "kneejerk reactions" as far as diplomacy with Pakistan was concerned.
"It is because of this lopsided diplomacy he has followed with Pakistan, we have over one thousand ceasefire violations...I appeal to the Prime Minister to take corrective steps so that people like Lakhvi are arrested and tried and outfits of Pakistan abetting terror in India are banned," he said.
Earlier in the day, Aziz, in a statement in Islamabad, asked for "more evidence and information" from India on the Mumbai attack case and asserted that talks cannot take place without Kashmir being on the agenda.
BJP, however, downplayed Aziz's statement, saying such comments are intended for domestic audience and bilateral talks will proceed on the lines of Ufa (Russia) joint statement of the two countries.
The BJP had termed as "game-changing" the outcome of talks between Modi and Sharif on the sideines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Russian city of Ufa.
Party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao today said the joint statement issued after the talks will guide bilateral engagements.
"A lot of statements coming from others are also possibly intended to address their domestic constituencies. As fas as we are concerned, the discussion, engagement will largely happen on the lines of the joint statement," he said.
