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Kargil operation will end soon: Thakre

Bharatiya Janata Party President Kushabhau Thakre today said the Kargil operation would end ''very soon.''

''Our soldiers have gained control of almost all the sensitive posts in the sector.'' Thakre told reporters in Patna.

Criticising the Congress for saying that Lahore bus diplomacy had failed, he said: ''The whole nation knows that only due to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Lahore the country could get outside support on the Kargil issue.''

Even Pakistan's long-time friends like China, the United States and the Gulf nations have ''supported us,'' he said and added that ''the bus trip paid us the reward for our honest approach to create a conducive atmosphere in the region to have friendly relations with the neighbouring countries,'' he added.

Replying to a question on the convening of a special Rajya Sabha session to discuss the Kargil issue, Thakre said there was no need for it and pointed out that eminent leaders, including two former prime ministers-- Chandrashekhar and H D Deve Gowda -- Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and a majority of chief ministers had expressed their views against such a demand.

About the government's failure to contain infiltration in Kargil, Thakre said: ''It is not possible for any government to deploy security forces all along the Line of Control. But the government took action at the appropriate time.''

Listing the achievements of the BJP government, he said the atmosphere in Kashmir was fast returning to normal and tourists had started pouring in from all parts of the country. All achievements of the party, including the success in Kargil, would be highlighted during electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls, he added.

Thakre said his party might expand its alliance in Bihar as some other parties had shown their eagerness to join the BJP-Samata Party combine.

''Our alliance with the Samata Party is intact. Some more parties are keen to join the alliance,'' he said adding that ''a final shape would emerge in the first week of August as we are not in a hurry to finalise anything.''

The Kargil Crisis

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