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Vajpayee rules out talks with Pakistan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday ruled out any talks with Pakistan asking what purpose would it serve if the two were to fight after parleys.

"Our neighbour keeps inviting us for meeting and talks, but I ask them what do we do with the meeting if we have to fight once again. It is better to remain separate," he said while laying the foundation stone for a super thermal power project in Sipat, Chhattisgarh.

"We want friendship, after all we are neighbours. You can change friends but not neighbours," Vajpayee said.

The prime minister said India wanted to spend more money for development, eradication of poverty and unemployment, but unfortunately a large part of the resources was being spent on defence and acquisition of armaments as there was threat on the border.

"There is threat on our border and there is a danger of terrorism in the country," he said.

"I went to Lahore in a bus with a message of peace. We talked friendship... but we were attacked in Kargil," he said.

Vajpayee said despite all this India did not hesitate to enhance friendship with "our neighbour".

"We invited them for talks in Agra, hoping that they would get some inspiration by seeing the Taj Mahal," he said.

Emphasising that there was no place for terrorism in a civilised society, Vaypayee said the killing of innocent children and attack on women would not be tolerated.

"While making the country secure from all such threats we will have to bring pace in development," he said.

PTI

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