Slamming UPA for making flip-flops on its policy on Pakistan, BJP today said that the message needed to be conveyed in "very unmistakable" terms to the neighbouring country that no meaningful dialogue was possible unless it delivered on its commitment of taking action against terrorists operating from its soil.
In comments which come on the fifth anniversary of the 26/11 strikes in Mumbai, the BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said, "The Government of India must understand that it owes it to the people of the country to get all the conspirators and planners (of 26/11) punished.
"Inaction, infiltration by Pakistan and dialogue obviously cannot go on together," he added.
Flaying India's response to the "gross inaction" by Pakistan against the terrorist masterminds of the attack, Prasad said, "Home Minister (Sushilkumar) Shinde's statement in the light of all this is grossly indifferent. Foreign Minister (Salman) Khurshid also makes routine pro forma noise. The strategy of the UPA government has been full of flip- flops."
"We are suffering the consequence of this ill-conceived approach," Prasad said.
Despite several alleged 26/11 conspirators having been arrested in Pakistan, the government in the neighbouring country has ensured that their trial is "completely frustrated", charged Prasad.
Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum are some of the people who have been arrested in Pakistan for their involvement in the attack on India's financial capital which left 166 persons dead, among them foreigners.
Prasad also expressed surprise at Pakistan's inaction against Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed, also an alleged 26/11 mastermind.
Prasad further claimed that the "diplomatic victory" which was the January 4, 2004, agreement between the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Pakistan President President Musharraf, "was completely ignored and there was shame in Sharm-el Sheikh when Manmohan Singh said that action against terrorism will not be linked to dialogue".
Prasad said that the 2004 talks had for the first time seen Pakistan agree that it would not allow its territory to be used for terror strikes against India.
