29 May 2002

EVENTUALLY TALKS WILL SOLVE DISPUTES, SAYS SONIA

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday made it clear to visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that disputed issues between India and Pakistan will be settled "eventually" through negotiations.

Stress was laid on "eventually" by party spokesman Anand Sharma while detailing the Sonia-Straw meeting at the AICC Press briefing, indicating that Sonia Gandhi has made it known in her own way to Straw that no war can solve problems between india and pakistan.

All the same, she also told Straw that the Congress supports the Indian Government's stand "on combating terrorism and violence. She told him that the issue of terrorism, specially cross-border terrorism, and unending violence in Jammu and Kashmir, are matter of "national concern."

Straw, according to Sharma, told Sonia Gandhi about his discussions in Pakistan with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and others and said his government hopes that all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan will be settled bilaterally.

There was no reference to the Gujarat violence from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's side during his meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Sharma said in reply to a question that arose from Straw raising the issue of two Britons' death in Gujarat's communal violence during his meeting with Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, demanding a thorough probe.

He told a press conference later that he had asked for "thorough investigation into the killing of the two British nationals so that perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice." He pointed out that both belonged to his constituency. He, however, skirted a question on prosecution of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying it is a matter "that rests with the Indian Government."

Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has expressed "anguish" and "concern" over the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad on Wednesday and conveyed her sympathies to those wounded.

Quoting her, party spokesman Anand Sharma said she has urged the government and concerned agencies to investigate the bomb blasts and ensure that "perpetrators are brought to justice promptly."

The Congress also noted with relief the arrest of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders in Gujarat for heinous violence and crimes. Sharma said the Congress hopes that the Government "will sincerely pursue prosecution of the accused so as to bring them to justice for crimes." This alone will restore people's confidence in the government and help in improving India's image that has been tarnished in the world from the communal carnage, he added. END