New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Refuting the charges of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that Pakistan had been allowed to "slip out" of its commitment to end cross-border terrorism and make the peace process Kashmir-centric, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asserted that there was no question of India accepting redrawing of borders or third party intervention to settle the issues between the twocountries.
In his reply to Vajpayee's letter of June 15, Dr Singh also rejected the contention that the government had mishandled the recent visit of Hurriyat leaders to Pakistan.
Disagreeing with his predecessor that Pakistan had been allowed to slip out of its promises, Dr Singh made it clear that was no change in India's stand that the dialogue with Pakistan "is predicated on its (Pakistan's) commitment to end cross border terrorism, as outlined in the joint statement of January 6, 2004" issued when Vajpayee was at the helm of affairs.
"The centrality of this position was most recently reflected in the joint statement released after my meeting with President Musharraf," Dr Singh said in his letter of June 20.
RSS's Indira admiration endorsement of dictatorship: George New Delhi, June 21 (UNI): Janata Dal (United) leader and National Democratic Alliance Convenor George Fernandes today expressed "shock" at RSS Chief Sudarshan admiring Indira Gandhi as the best Prime Minister of the country, saying it would mean endorsement of her dictatorship.
As the RSS is undergoing tumultuous relationship with the BJP, the JD (U) - a key ally of the BJP in the NDA - has also preferred to voice its dissent against the RSS publicly admiring the dictator.
He, however, concurred with Sudarshan's view that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was responsible for all the ills facing the country.
In his letter written to Sudarshan in response to his Lucknow speech hailing Mrs Gandhi, Fernandes said he could not understand how RSS could admire a person who imposed emergency and even removed the clause of "right to life" from the statute books like Hitler in Germany.
She had scant regard for parliament, judiciary and the opposition and it was because of this that she was thrown out of power by the people, he said.
Mrs Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' slogan was not to banish poverty but to garner their votes when she was fully aware that poverty in the country could only be banished in a few decades by hard work and doing away with corrupton, he said.
Fernandes alleged that during emergency his family was brutally tortured to reveal his whereabouts.
Army's view on demilitarised Siachen already with Govt: JJ Singh New Delhi, June 21 (UNI): The Government is aware of the Army's view-point regarding demilitarisation of Siachen- the world's highest battlefield, Army Chief General Joginder Jaswant Singh said here today.
"We've already given our view-point to the Government...
they must be studying it", Gen JJ Singh told mediapersons.
He was responding to queries about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent assertion regarding making Siachen "a peace mountain" by withdrawing troops from it.
While visiting troops stationed along the Siachen Glacier earlier this month, the Prime Minister had declared that it was now about time the area - conflict-ridden since 1984 - was made a peace zone.
The Army is, however, keen that the Actual Ground Position be duly authenticated before pulling out troops from the area.
This view was also conveyed to Pakistan when the Defence Secretaries of the two countries met in Rawalpindi last month for talks on demilitarisation of the Siachen Glacier.
