Stop dialogue with Pak on Sir Creek: Modi writes to PM

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop dialogue with Pakistan at once on the Sir Creek issue and demanded that it should not be handed over to the neighbouring nation.

"I am writing on a serious issue of talks being held on Sir Creek being handed over to Pakistan. Any attempt to hand over Sir Creek to Pakistan would be a strategic blunder considering the history and sensitivity of the region," Modi has written in a letter to the PM.

"I would earnestly request you to stop this dialogue with Pakistan at once and Sir Creek should not be handed over to Pakistan," Modi further wrote in the letter.

"Due to the election code of conduct, Modi wrote the letter as a concerned citizen and not as a chief minister of a state," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said while giving details of the letter at a press conference in Ahemedabad.

"I am writing to you at this juncture as I was told that a decision is being taken on Sir Creek issue on December 15," Modi said in the letter.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Rehman Malik is likely to visit India on December 14-16.

"Sir Creek has been settled 100 years back between rulers of Kutch and Sindh. Even the tribunal verdict in 1968 headed by the then British PM Harold Wilson shows Pakistan getting only 10 per cent of its claim of 9,000 sq km of this border area," Modi further mentioned.

"Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will totally open up Gujarat border with Pakistan. I was given to understand that recently Pakistan carried out a joint operation of their army, air force and navy code named Sea-spark-12, almost one month ago very near to Sir Creek," Modi said.

Sitaraman said the BJP as a party supports the view of Modi on the issue. However, she evaded a question on how Modi came to know that the central government was planning to hand over Sir Creek to Pakistan.

Sir Creek is marshy water body along the India- Pakistan border, which is disputed and the two countries are bilaterally discussing the issue for quite a long time.

"Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will give them more control over the Exclusive Economic Zone in the sea. This will be a permanent threat to fishermen of Saurashtra and Kutch area and also to the vital installations and major industrial installations like refineries and ports," Modi said.

"Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will endanger our energy security as Kutch, Saurashtra and north Gujarat has vast potential of oil and gas both off shore and onshore," Modi said.

Modi further said in the letter, "At no point in the entire process has the  Gujarat government been consulted.

In a similar case of Teesta agreement with Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister was consulted and the agreement was cancelled," Modi said.

"I would request you to stop taking any decision on this crucial issue on December 15th. After the elections are over in Gujarat, I shall seek your time to discuss this issue with you," Modi said in the letter.

Modi has written the letter to the PM on the eve of polling for the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, to be held on Thursday at 87 assembly seats.

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