If Pakistan does not stop firing across the line of actual control, it will have to face dire consequences, defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has said.
Yadav was at Bithoo near here on the occasion of some local leaders joining the Samajwadi Party from the Congress. Speaking to reporters he said that India was in favour of a greater confederation with Pakistan and Bangladesh. But, first the provocation has to stop, he said. The defence minister said since the matter involved two countires, he would not like to make any further comments. But Pakistan will have to face serious consequences if it did not stop shelling, he repeated.
Yadav said Prime Minister I.K. Gujral had talked to him before meeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and he had told Gujral that since the meeting was already fixed it should be honoured but Pakistan should be told in plain terms that the provocation simply cannot go on.
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The defence minister informed that the Pakistani troops were firing from behind bunkers in the middle of a populated village since they know that we do not fire on the civilians. But we are not going to tolerate this Pakistani provocation, he reiterated.
No body can put pressure on us and we do not take orders from anyone. We shall never compromise on our self respect, Yadav said.
Apart from breathing fire on the Pakistan issue, most of Yadavs speech was devoted to issues concerning Uttar Pradesh. He made light of the government order issued by the Kalayan Singh ministry to check the misuse of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He said such GOs had no meaning and were easily disregarded.
Yadav also dwelt on the caste factor, criticising the Dalits and distinguishing between the Chamar section of Dalits and the others. He accused only a particular segment of Dalits of going all out to file cases on persecution. None of the Valmikis, or the Sonkars, or the other Dalits were filing reports, he said and stated, When I come to power I shall stop the use of this act in Uttar Pradesh altogether.
Yadav also carried on with his courting of the upper castes. He called Neeraj Kumar Sisodia, the third year student killed allegedly by the Dalits in Ghaziabad a martyr. He advocated the cause of the poor among the upper castes and said that 10 per cent reservation should be given to them as well.
Altogether 20 leaders including Ramji Tripathi joined the Samajwadi Party on the occasion. Tripathi has some influence among the roadways and the textile workers of the city. His induction may be followed by others into the Samajwadi Party from the Congress depending on how they view their prospects of getting elected through a Samajwadi ticket.
The meeting attracted a large number of Brahmins from the surrounding areas and it does appear that he has managed to attract a section of the upper castes from the BJP fold.