Centre must snap out of diplomatic stupor: Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 21. The Congress has stepped up the heat on the Government accusing it of ``diplomatic paralysis'' in the face of the blitz launched by the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The provocation for the rhetoric was the allegedly ``muted and inadequate'' Government response to Gen. Musharraf's observations at a press conference on Friday.

The Congress spokesperson, Mr. Jaipal Reddy, appeared particularly peeved at the lack of a forceful response to Gen. Musharraf's attempts to impose his own definition of the border. ``This Government is allowing him to get away with drawing a ridiculous distinction between the border and the LoC,'' said Mr. Reddy. Charging the Government with failing to forcefully put across the country's case on cross-border terrorism, he said the whole world was aware that a part of Kashmir on the other side of the border was under Pakistan's rule. ``We should expose his attempts to shirk responsibility from what is happening from across the border'', he said.

The Government had allowed Gen. Musharraf to get away with describing the terrorist activity as freedom struggle, he added.

The Congress listed a series of issues on which the Government's response had been found wanting.Urging the Government to snap out of its stupor and dispel the impression gaining ground that Gen. Musharraf had proved to be diplomatically smarter than the Indian Government. ``Elocution and not circumlocution is the need of the hour,'' said Mr. Reddy.

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Section  : National
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