In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Maroof Raza, Consulting Editor, Strategic Affairs; Maj Gen (Retd) G D Bakshi, Editor, Indian Military Review; RSN Singh, Former RAW Officer; K C Singh, Fmr Secretary, MEA; C R Kesavan, National Spokesperson, Congress and Sushant Sareen, Sr Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation -- discuss -- Pakistan accepts 26/11 tapes. Can Congress complain or question the big win?
Congress on Friday (July 10) came down heavily on the Centre over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Pakistani counterpart in Ufa, alleging the NDA "diluted" India's long-held positions on terrorism and commitments extracted from Pakistan on the issue. "It (Modi's meeting with Pakistan's premier Nawaz Sharif) is neither historic nor a breakthrough... It is a diluted rehash of India's past positions and commitments extracted from Pakistan," senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said. Trashing the Modi-Sharif joint statement, Sharma said there has been "no clarity, coherence and consistency" on the government's policy to deal with the neighbouring country and that all the steps of Prime Minister Modi on Pakistan have been "ill-advised". Seeking action against those involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, Sharma said, "All evidence has been given to Pakistan in the dossier which is adequate to prosecute and convict those involved." "This (joint) statement is a departure and dilution. We would like to ask the PM why he conceded that we have not given evidence. This justifies Pakistan's intransigence on the trial of 26/11 perpetrators there," he said.
Noting that the claims of a breakthrough in today's talks were "laughable", he said that the policy as regards to Pakistan appeared to be "one of abrupt decisions and engaging in fits and starts". While External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said in June that there would be no talks with Pakistan, the Prime Minister suddenly has a meeting with Sharif on the
