Comprehensive talks on J&K

India may for the first time have a Prime Minister from the Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh said at his press conference yesterday, that he was "yet to apply his mind" to the issue of seeking a seat in the Lok Sabha.

He also said the process of ministry formation was on and that he wasn't sure whether he would have a finance minister or keep the portfolio himself.

Singh also said while he favoured bipartisan politics and did not want to seem to criticise his predecessors, he was concerned about the role of the judiciary in the Gujarat riots.

"Many other cases of victims in riots are pending. We hope that riots of the kind we saw don't ever recur," Singh said.

On Ayodhya, Singh went by the Congress manifesto when he said he would like to see a negotiated settlement to the vexed issue, but one that had the sanction of the courts.

Asked about the unity of the coalition government he was about to lead, Singh said: "We cannot afford to have divisive political and religious policies. We are an ancient civilisation. The essence of Hinduism is that paths may be different, but the goal is the same. The true civilisational values of our ancient land have to be upheld. I seek the cooperation of all patriotic Indians in this dharam yudh (holy war)," he said.

On Pakistan, Singh said he favoured talks with Islamabad to find a solution to oustanding problems that would make friction between the two neighbours "a thing of the past".

"We seek friendly relations with our neighbours, more so with Pakistan. We should look at the future with hope," he said, emphasising on finding ways and means for resolving all outstanding problems between the two nations without "sacrificing our national security".

"It will be our effort, without sacrificing our national security imperative, to create an atmosphere to move forward to improve our relations with Pakistan," Singh added.

On the issue of Kashmir, he said his government would favour a dialogue with all interested parties to explore every possible opportunity to bring "peace and progress" to the vital state.

Singh's comments assume importance in the wake of peace initiatives taken by outgoing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for improving ties with Pakistan.