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Swat development a worry for India, says Congress

February 18, 2009 23:03 IST

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari has expressed concern about the agreement between Pakistan and Taliban about the implementation of Shariat laws in the Swat region.

Tewari was speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"Today, the upper hand that Taliban is acquiring in Pakistan with Talibanisation of Swat valley is a direct threat to India and region. These developments need an emphatic response from the government," Leader of Opposition L K Advani had said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday while speaking on Presidential address.

"We have made our statement on the subject. Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that Taliban is a dreaded terrorist organisation and is threat to the civilisation and humanity as a whole," he quoted the foreign minister to illustrate that the Government of India has taken the view of the development seriously.

Asked how he would react to the statement made by BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley that UPA government would have done better if they had a full-fledged captain batting for the government instead of sending in a nightwatch man.

"I know that Arunji is the president of the Delhi and District Association so it has become a habit with him to say things in the cricketing terminology. So I do not give much importance to it," he said.

Onkar Singh in New Delhi