Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: February 6, 2002
URL: http://www.timesofindia.com/Articleshow.asp?art_id=1792920957
A day after Pakistan observed Kashmir
solidarity day, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on Wednesday Pakistan
will not get Kashmir.
"They may celebrate Kashmir Diwas,
but they will not get Kashmir", he said addressing an election meeting
here as he began his campaign for the BJP-SAD alliance for the February
13 Punjab assembly poll.
The Prime Minister said the Army
has been deployed on both sides of the border. "We have deployed Army not
for attacking Pakistan but to defend our own territory", he said adding
that "it should not be taken as if we are heading towards war".
Troops would return to the barracks
and talks with Pakistan would resume as soon as the neighbouring country
stops abetting cross-border terrorism, he said.
Vajpayee said the moment he became
the Prime Minister he tried to establish good relations with Pakistan.
"I went on a peace and friendship mission to Lahore by bus with the message
of love, but was reciprocated with invasion in Kargil", he said.
While we were talking of friendship
and peace in Lahore, an attack on Kargil was being planned, he said.
"I invited Musharraf to Agra, but
the talks failed due to the adamant attitude of the General because he
had nothing but Kashmir in his mind", Vajpayee said. There were a lot of
other issues to be discussed but Musharraf was harping only on Kashmir,
he said.
The Prime Minister said, "We are
defending our people and territory. We do not want any war, but if need
arises we will not hesitate in taking any step to save ourself."
Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir
was an inseparable part of the country, he said when the British left,
the people of Kashmir were given a choice and they selected India following
which Pakistan sent kabailis (raiders) to attack the state which was repulsed
by the Indian army.
Vajpayee said while elections are
soon going to be held in Jammu and Kashmir where people will chose their
government, there has been no election in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)
and Pakistan.
Whenever there is a change of government
in Pakistan the prime minister is either sent to jail or goes out of the
country but in India we have four former prime ministers who gracefully
stepped down, he said.
The Prime Minister said India is
a democratic country with diversities but at the time of external aggression
it had always stood as one dissolving all the differences.
Lashing out at the Congress, Vajpayee
said during the 40-year rule of the party Punjab made no progress but in
the last five years of SAD-BJP rule there has been tremendous development.
Referring to Congress President
Sonia Gandhi's reported remark that the NDA government was cheating the
people he said, "I do not understand whether I should react or keep quiet.
She is giving very funny statements."
The Prime Minister said we sat in
the opposition for 40 years and did not compromise on principles, similarly
the Congress, which has lost mandate, should play the role of a constructive
opposition.
Vajpayee said when he became the
Prime Minister it was said that the Government will not last long but "sarkar
chal nahin daur rahi hai (government is not working but running at a fast
pace)".
Congratulating Chief Minister Parkash
Singh Badal for successfully completing his five years tenure, he said
various development works undertaken by the SAD-BJP government were in
front of the people.
Whenever Badal came to the Centre
seeking assistance, he was given, Vajpayee said adding that Punjab will
continue to get assistance from the Centre for developmental works.
He exhorted the people to once again
repose faith in the SAD-BJP regime for growth, prosperity and development.
