Palpable differences between MEA, Home, says BJP

Claiming "palpable differences" between the Ministries of External Affairs and Home, BJP today accused S M Krishna of "publicly insulting and humiliating" Home Secretary G K Pillai, who, it maintained had made the right statements about ISI and the Pakistan Army.

Claiming "palpable differences" between the Ministries of External Affairs and Home, BJP on Thursday accused S M Krishna of "publicly insulting and humiliating" Home Secretary G K Pillai, who, it maintained had made the right statements about ISI and the Pakistan Army.

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"External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has spoken again... We want to remind Krishna that there is a thin line between sobriety and submission and we regret to say that he has transgressed this line," BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

BJP expressed dismay that even on the "sensitive" issue of Indo-Pakistan relations, the UPA administration "cannot speak in one voice".

"Why cannot they have this discipline?" Prasad said.

Coming in support of Pillai, BJP said the Home Secretary's statement (based on David Hedley's interrogation) that the ISI and Pakistan Army were involved in Mumbai terror attack, was right.

Prasad further alleged that when Pillai was compared to JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed, Krishna kept silent and was now criticising the Home Secretary.

Krishna had said on Wednesday that though what Pillai commented about Pakistan's involvement in 26/11 is correct, timing of the statement was wrong as it had come on the eve of his visit to the neighbouring country.

The main opposition alleged that the External Affairs and Home Ministry were not on the "same page" and sought to know what exactly was the policy of the government on Indo-Pak talks.