The Hindu : 'Pak. dual stand exposed'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 04, 2003

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'Pak. dual stand exposed'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE JAN. 3. Pakistan's ``dual'' stand on terrorism stands exposed, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said here today.

He told presspersons at the Bangalore airport before leaving for Delhi that the world had come to know about Pakistan's ``dubious designs''. He said the Opposition leaders had been fully silenced following the conduct of peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

On the Cauvery waters issue, he said that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were facing a distress situation owing to inadequate rains in the basin. He had convened a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority on January 13 in New Delhi. Replying to a question, he said the farmers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the basin were facing severe hardships owing to inadequate storage of water in reservoirs. The Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, has apprised Mr. Vajpayee of the State's inability to release additional water to Tamil Nadu.

PTI reports:

Mr. Vajpayee parried questions on the criticism of his musings by the VHP leaders and their threats on the Ayodhya issue. ``Some of the VHP leaders have been making statements. I will gather all of them after reaching Delhi today and react by tomorrow''.

On the VHP's February 22 ultimatum to the Government for handing over the undisputed land, Mr. Vajpayee said ``it is their stand. Everyone knows what their stand is''. Asked whether the VHP had gone too far on the Ram Mandir issue, he said ``I don't think so''.

Exuding confidence over the BJP's prospects in the Assembly elections, Mr. Vajpayee said the party was preparing to consolidate the gains it made in Gujarat polls and exhorted its workers to ``aggressively counter'' the ``negative'' campaign of the Opposition parties.

``We have some more Assembly polls ahead in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and are preparing for them.''

Launching an attack on some Opposition-ruled States for their ``tendency'' to blame the Centre for ``their failure'' to utilise the foodgrains provided for various schemes, including the Public Distribution System, Mr. Vajpayee said ``if the PDS turns successful they claim credit for it and blame it on the Central Government if they fail''.

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