New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's strong statement on the LoC killings on Tuesday was welcomed with open arms by the Opposition, with Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha adding that India should call off the peace process. Sinha said that if Pakistan did not respond to the PM's statement, the PM should be ready with a "Plan B". "I welcome the PM's statement, but he should have spoken much earlier. It reflects the mood of the country. If Pakistan does not respond, then the PM should be ready with Plan B," Sinha said.
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said, "I welcome the PM's statement. Pakistan has sent negative signals repeatedly. It is the attitude of the Pakistan government. Strong language is required."
Left leader D Raja, however, said the issue should be dealt with more "maturity". "We should take strong diplomatic steps with Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan should have meaningful bilateral talks. They should have maturity in their behaviour," Raja told reporters.
Sources in the government, however, said that it would be difficult to maintain the continuing dialogue on the Indo-Pak peace process after the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers in the Mendhar sector of Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, last week. They said that Pakistan would have to first "reassure" India. "CBMs may be curtailed. Maintaining sporting and cultural ties under the circumstances is difficult. However, India doesn't want to indulge in jingoism," the sources added.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid further informed that there was "no time line" for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Poonch ceasefire violation to book. He, however, added that India was pressurising Pakistan for strong action.
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