Vajpayee denies govt is toeing US line after Sept 11 attacks

Our Political Bureau

New Delhi, Nov 27: Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee sought to dispel in Rajya Sabha (RS) on Tuesday the impression that India was toeing the US line after the September 11 attacks.

Appealing to the Opposition not to attribute motives to various actions taken by the government after these attacks, he said: “We may have our differences but nobody should suspect our patriotic feelings. We have to present a united face of India before the world.”

Only the upper house functioned on Tuesday as the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to the sitting BJP member from Jammu Vaid Vishnu Dutt, who died here on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

Replying to a short duration discussion on post-September 11 scenario, the PM referred to his criticism for writing to the US President soon after the October 1 terrorist attack on Jammu & Kashmir Assembly. It had become necessary to inform Washington about the nefarious designs of Pakistan, he said.

On the Afghan situation, he said India would support the formation of a broad-based, neutral and multi-ethnic government there which would not allow its territory to be used for perpetrating terrorist acts in India or other countries.

He said his recent statement in London on the role of the Taliban in the future set-up in Afghanistan had been misinterpreted. What he had said was that there was no role for the Taliban. However, moderates, who might not have been able to raise their voice against it, could be included, he said.

Going by former finance secretary Ajit Kumar’s deposition before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Congress member Suresh Pachauri said finance minister Yashwant Sinha purposely kept the house in the dark about the UTI controversy, adding that he had given a notice
of breach of privilege against him.