Indo-Pak statement: NDA tells Prez give correct advice to UPA

Going on the offensive on the controversial Indo-Pak Joint Statement, a NDA delegation on Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil and asked her to "intervene" and give "correct advice" to the UPA government on such foreign policy initiatives.

Going on the offensive on the controversial Indo-Pak Joint Statement, a NDA delegation on Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil and asked her to "intervene" and give "correct advice" to the UPA government on such foreign policy initiatives.

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"Our demand to the President was that she should intervene and give correct advice to the government on these issues," Leader of Opposition L K Advani told reporters, after submitting a memorandum to Patil on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's move to give "further clarifications" on the statement in Parliament.

"One-by-one, facts about the Indo-Pakistan Joint Statement have come to light which have raised doubts," the senior BJP leader said.

Advani said India had always had an independent foreign policy but alleged that "foreign pressure" was visible in the recent developments.

Two major doubts which arose after the Statement were delinking of terrorism from the composite dialogue process and the mention of Balochistan in the document, he said.

Advani said, till now there was a consensus inside and outside Parliament that until Pakistan took "satisfactory steps" in combating terrorism, there could be no progress in talks. Similarly, Balochistan -- which had never been mentioned in any talks -- has found a place in the Statement, he regretfully said.

The delegation consisted of nearly 150 MPs. NDA's acting convener Sharad Yadav (JD-U) and MPs from Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and other partners were part of the delegation.

The issues of climate change and "imposition of NPT through the back door" on India were also brought up by the delegation.