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India, Pak can become confederation: Advani
New Delhi, Feb 29: Expressing firm belief that India and Pakistan can become a confederation while maintaining their sovereignty, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has asserted that it was the BJP only that could improve relations between the two countries as well as ameliorate the lot of minorities in India.
New Delhi, Feb 29: Expressing firm belief that India and Pakistan can become a confederation while maintaining their sovereignty, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has asserted that it was the BJP only that could improve relations between the two countries as well as ameliorate the lot of minorities in India.
''We have proved our sincerity and genuineness in pursuit of peace with Pakistan. Not only the rest of the world, but the people and many in the ruling establishment of Pakistan acknowledge that Atal Bihari Vajpayee is internationally considered a ‘man of peace’,'' Advani said after releasing five books at his residence here last evening.
''I am convinced that there is an elite class in Pakistan, like in India, which feels India-Pakistan relations can improve only when the BJP is in power in New Delhi,'' he added.
''We have consistently and sincerely striven for restoring peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and our efforts are bearing fruit now. In this effort, our principal means have been democracy and dialogue,'' he said.
Speaking on the minorities' perception of the BJP, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the party had ''demolished all the false and vile propaganda by our opponents and shown we do not discriminate against minorities and have no intention of curtailing their religious rights”.
Advani said India had been in the forefront of tackling the scourge of 'jihadi' terrorism and had succeeded in creating international opinion against it. Pakistan's own rulers ''seem to have realised that it is a threat to their country too,'' he added.
He said though India and Pakistan became two sovereign states, but contrary to expectations, their problems did not end. Instead, they got aggravated and both countries fought wars.
''A time will come when people in both countries will agree that partition of the sub-continent had not solved any of their problems and both will form a confederation,'' the DPM said.
The Deputy Prime Minister asserted that India was ready for a composite dialogue with Pakistan on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
While referring to the Agra summit, he said there had been a big change in the attitude of Pakistan leadership. The Pakistani leader who had said in Agra that whatever was going on in Jammu and Kashmir was freedom struggle had said recently that Pakistan would not allow any terrorist activity from its soil.
Quoting from the pre-independence speech of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Deputy Prime Minister said even Jinnah did not want Pakistan to become a theocratic state. However, it became so while India became a secular country.
Jinnah had in the speech expressed the desire for peace between both India and Pakistan for progress and prosperity. If one goes by the speech, Pakistan should not have become a theocratic state, Advani added.
Calling for a debate between secularism and vote bank politics, he said BJP’s ''honest belief'' in ''genuine secularism'' as opposed to vote bank politics, had enabled the party to be where it is today. ''Our view is that all those who contributed to our development, believe in genuine secularism,'' he added.
The two-hour function was attended by several political leaders including Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah. Bureau Report
''I am convinced that there is an elite class in Pakistan, like in India, which feels India-Pakistan relations can improve only when the BJP is in power in New Delhi,'' he added.
''We have consistently and sincerely striven for restoring peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and our efforts are bearing fruit now. In this effort, our principal means have been democracy and dialogue,'' he said.
Speaking on the minorities' perception of the BJP, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the party had ''demolished all the false and vile propaganda by our opponents and shown we do not discriminate against minorities and have no intention of curtailing their religious rights”.
Advani said India had been in the forefront of tackling the scourge of 'jihadi' terrorism and had succeeded in creating international opinion against it. Pakistan's own rulers ''seem to have realised that it is a threat to their country too,'' he added.
He said though India and Pakistan became two sovereign states, but contrary to expectations, their problems did not end. Instead, they got aggravated and both countries fought wars.
''A time will come when people in both countries will agree that partition of the sub-continent had not solved any of their problems and both will form a confederation,'' the DPM said.
The Deputy Prime Minister asserted that India was ready for a composite dialogue with Pakistan on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
While referring to the Agra summit, he said there had been a big change in the attitude of Pakistan leadership. The Pakistani leader who had said in Agra that whatever was going on in Jammu and Kashmir was freedom struggle had said recently that Pakistan would not allow any terrorist activity from its soil.
Quoting from the pre-independence speech of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Deputy Prime Minister said even Jinnah did not want Pakistan to become a theocratic state. However, it became so while India became a secular country.
Jinnah had in the speech expressed the desire for peace between both India and Pakistan for progress and prosperity. If one goes by the speech, Pakistan should not have become a theocratic state, Advani added.
Calling for a debate between secularism and vote bank politics, he said BJP’s ''honest belief'' in ''genuine secularism'' as opposed to vote bank politics, had enabled the party to be where it is today. ''Our view is that all those who contributed to our development, believe in genuine secularism,'' he added.
The two-hour function was attended by several political leaders including Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah. Bureau Report