March 1, 2014
NEW DELHI: BJP claimed that Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister will only improve relations with the neighboring countries as he is a "disciple of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee," during whose regime India had developed close ties with all its neighbors including China and Pakistan.
March 1, 2014
NEW DELHI: BJP claimed that Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister will only improve relations with the neighboring countries as he is a "disciple of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee," during whose regime India had developed close ties with all its neighbors including China and Pakistan.
Apprehensions were voiced at a seminar on India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue here on Saturday, following Modi's speech in Silchar last week about relations between majority and minority communities in Bangladesh, on whether Modi can lead a tolerant government in Delhi, with regard to its neighbors, party MP Tarun Vijay, assured that he (Modi) will only take the Vajpayee legacy forward.
Blaming the UPA government for deteriorating relations with the neighboring countries and specifically for its failure to implement the Teesta water treaty and the land border agreement with Bangladesh, BJP MP Tarun Vijay said on Saturday that his party was not opposed to the accords, but stalled it from being implemented for the manner in which the government was bring them about.
Speaking at seminar Vijay said, "It's an endeavor of our government to improve relations with all our neighbors. It is well known that India had best of relations with all our neighbors including China and Pakistan during the Vajpayee regime. We invited Pervez Musharraf (then Pakistan president)," Vijay said, while replying to a question in the open session on whether Narendra Modi will lead a tolerant government, in the context of its neighbors?
"Of course, Modi is a great follower of Vajpayee. The government will be tolerant, will follow the Vajpayee legacy and make all our neighbors happy," he went on to add.
Replying to specific questions on why BJP disallowed the the Teesta and LBA accords with Bangladesh, Vijay said, "It is not us (BJP) who opposed it. Since the government wanted to push it unconstitutionally, our objection was not the issue, but the way in which it was being done," he said.
The BJP MP took a dig at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming her. The Bengal CM's opposition to the accords with Bangladesh were the major reasons for them to fall through even as the two governments across the borders were principally agreed on them. "Those who opposed it are considered to be secular," Vijay said, while speaking on the two international agreements. He was seen to be referring to the Trinamool Congress chief when he said secular.
Courtesy: PTI
