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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh categorically denied the allegations made by Pakistani spokesman that the India had moved troops along the line of control in last few days.
"This is totally baseless allegation," Singh told newsmen after he had delivered first Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru lecture on September 11, 2001 and After: Reflections in New Delhi on Wednesday evening.
He denied that India's US policy has been undermined by the developments in last one month, which has seen US getting closer to Pakistan.
"I can tell you that our US policy has not been undermined. Yes, we could have been underestimated. Time will show that India has been on the correct path. I have been asked why were we in such a hurry to give our support to US on fighting terrorism? My reply is that we have been experiencing terrorism in Kashmir. We want the whole world to join in fight against terrorism. Some people ask me how can remain non-aligned if we are siding with US? My reply is that there is no non-alignment on the issue of fighting terrorism," he said.
The foreign minister made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is not a global issue, as is being made out by Pakistan.
"It is an issue which has been made contentious by repeated and persistent interference in India's internal affairs by Pakistan. That is why it is and can only be a bilateral matter. Jammu and Kashmir is not a cause, it is a consequence of an attitude of perpetual and compulsive hostility, of proxy war, of terrorism being employed as a tool of state policy," he declared.
He reaffirmed that India would stand shoulder to shoulder with the international community in its fight against terrorism. "What happened on the September 11 was a crime against humanity," he said.
He assured the Muslim community that the war against Al Qaeda and Taleban does not mean that it is war against Islam. "What the terrorists did on September 11 was against Islam," he said.
He said that the government of India recognises the Rabbani government as the legitimate government of Afghanistan and it is this government which represents Afghanistan in United Nations.
"So there is no question of there being a vacuum or any fall of the government after the fall of the Taleban. But we would like to see in the post-Taleban scenario a government that would represent all sections of the Afghan people," he added.
Asked if the government of India has extended any help to mitigate the miseries of the Afghan people, Jaswant Singh said that the government of India has offered to send one million tonnes of wheat, tents, blankets, quilts, medicines and other essential things to Afghanistan for the Afghan people.
"Since Pakistan has told us that it does not have storage facilities, we are sending this aid through Iran where one and a half million Afghan refugees are living in various camps," he said.
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