PM-Advani verbal duel in Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha witnessed an interesting passage of arms when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened repeatedly and rejected BJP leader LK Advani's charge that US pressure was behind India's decision to talk to Pakistan.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed an interesting passage of arms when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened repeatedly and rejected BJP leader LK Advani's charge that US pressure was behind India's decision to talk to Pakistan.

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In a sharp verbal duel during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Singh asserted that there is no change in the US policy on Indo-Pak relations after President Barack Obama came to power.

He intervened on more than two occasions during the 75-minute speech by Advani, seeking to set the record straight on the Indo-Pak talks besides other issues like 'one-rank-one-pension' for armed forces.

"You are using this debate to sow seeds... What you are attributing to President Obama is certainly not true. In my discussions with President Obama, he has unambiguously said that there is no change in the US policy towards India and Pakistan (relations)," the Prime Minister asserted.

He was replying to Advani who suggested that the US was behind the recent Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level as Obama had publicly said during his Presidential campaign that he would try to resolve Kashmir issue.

This, the BJP leader, contended marked a change in the US position as the previous US Administrations had maintained that they would not mediate in Indo-Pak relations unless both the countries want it.