Jammu attack: Cong rejects BJP demand to cancel PM-Sharif talks

Rejecting Bharatiya Janata Party's demand to call off the prime ministerial level talks with Pakistan in New York, the Congress on Thursday said the terror strike in Jammu is an attempt to derail the peace process and wondered whether the saffron party also wanted the same.

"Who are opposing PEACE AND DIALOGUE ? Only militants, the BJP and drawing room hawks and some hawkish elements in media," Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh tweeted.

Party's communication department Chairman Ajay Maken said these attacks were not incidental but "deliberate and diabolical" attempts to derail peace, by people who stand to gain out of unrest. "The timing of today's terror attacks clearly indicates that the people behind it do not want peace process. Does the BJP also wants the same," he asked.

Party spokesperson Raj Babbar and Singh also reminded the BJP of the Lahore bus journey initiative by National Democratic Alliance's PM Atal Bihari Vajpyee and continuation of Indo-Pak talks after the Kargil war during that regime.

The reactions of the Congress came as the opposition party upped the ante demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cancel his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York on Sunday. "The party (BJP), which is saying so is only reflecting politics and haste behind it. Even the terrorists do not want that talks are held. If some more people are saying, they should think....Should we accept what the terrorists want. We will not allow this to happen," Babbar told reporters in New Delhi.

He also said, "We should have faith in the wisdom of the prime minister. We should not be saying anything on it. Whatever is appropriate will be done.” "We should have faith in the wisdom of the prime minister and external affairs minister...You should have patience. Let the PM come back. Let the PM say something. We will understand what are his views."

Digvijay categorically said, "Dialogue is the only way to tackle issues." Asking Pakistan to identify the rogue elements, Digvijay also noted that both the countries were "victims of terror" and should come together to fight the menace instead of blaming each other.

"(We) condemn militant attack in Jammu (region). Pakistan and India both (are) victims of terror and) must come together to fight (the menace) instead of blaming each other.

"They should also identify the rogue elements in the Establishment and effectively purge them. Dialogue is the only way to tackle issues," he tweeted.

Singh said that the kind of militancy and terror activities being witnessed in India are also happening in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh and hence, there is a need for all such countries to come together and make a common strategy to finish off terrorism.

"Talks are the only way. Even when the BJP, the NDA was in power, talks were held even after the Kargil war. And who held these talks, Atalji," Singh said.

At the AICC briefing, Babbar said that the NDA PMr Vajpayee had also gone to Lahore but the Congress did not question why he went there.

Another party leader Rashid Alvi said India wants good relations with Pakistan "but not at the cost of such terror incidents". "It is very unfortunate. Let us wait for the truth to come out. If anybody from the soil of Pakistan is involved, we should think whether to talk to the Prime Minsiter of that country or not," he said.