Cong squandered 1971 victory: PM

NEEMUCH (MP), Aug 25 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said he did not want to make Kargil an election issue but the people ought to realise that the country under the Congress regime had surrendered the advantage it had gained during the 1971 war with Pakistan.

Mr Vajpayee said that following that war, India had captured 90,000 Pakistani troops "who had been let off without forcing Pakistan to agree with our stand on Kashmir.’’

Addressing an election meeting here, Mr Vajpayee said the victory in Kargil was not that of the BJP but of the Jawans.

He said the Jawans had fought valiantly in Kargil at heights between 5000 feet to 17,000 feet where getting drinking water and even breathing properly was difficult.

Despite these odds, the Jawans succeeded in driving away Pakistani intruders from our soil, he said, adding India could have crossed the Line of Control during the fighting in Kargil but did not do so as it wanted to act with restraint.

The Prime Minister said the fighting in Kargil had come to an end with all Pakistani intruders driven away and pointed out that India had not been isolated in the world community on the issue.

Mr Vajpayee said people including children from all over the country had sent to him in all a sum of Rs 3,500 crore for welfare of Jawans.

The Prime Minister said it was the Pakistan army, and not the Mujahidin, who had intruded into Indian soil in the Kargil sector.

He said tension which used to crop up in the country whenever the two neighbouring countries came into conflict was absent during the Kargil operations.

"The people of our country remained united and demonstrated patriotism,’’ he added.

Pointing out that India had always favoured the path of peace and dialogue to resolve outstanding issues, he said the present situation was not conducive for holding talks with Pakistan as the neighbouring country was still creating trouble on the LoC and aiding and abetting terrorism.

He lashed out at the Congress for its "expertise in bringing down governments and its inability to sit in the Opposition".

"My government did not die a natural death but was strangulated, thus forcing another mid-term Lok Sabha election on the country", Mr Vajpayee said.

He listed various steps taken by his government for the welfare of farmers and added that his government would consider the question of raising the price of opium which is grown in the region.

Those present at the meeting included Dr Laxmi Narayan Pandey, the BJP nominee for Mandsaur constituency that includes Neemuch, and Chand Kripalani, who is the party's nominee in Chittor in neighbouring Rajasthan.