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Cong welcomes US stand on LoC

The Congress today welcomed the United States position that the Line of Control (LoC) recognised by the Simla Agreement be respected by Pakistan and made it clear that any dialogue with Pakistan should be bilateral and all infiltrators be flushed out.

Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal said India would not tolerate any efforts made to legitimise the Pakistani act of aggression and the only option was for them was to vacate the occupied territory.

Describing the Pakistani exercise as desperate adventurism he said they were attempting to widen the area of conflict with unprovoked artillery and mortar shelling at several places. Their willful aggression clearly demonstrated the bankruptcy of their political establishment, he said.

With just $ one billion left in reserve, such desperate acts were obviously intended to divert the attention of the people from the domestic situation, he said. If such acts continued with the active connivance of the ISI, the international community might consider declaring ISI as a terrorist organisation, he said.

Replying to a question on whether the Congress supported the demand for dropping George Fernandes as defence minister, K Natwar Singh, chairman, foreign affairs department of the Congress, said his party would not have made him a minister at all. Even if he was there he would have been sent back after the series of actions from the statement on China to the Kargil issue, he said.

UNI

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