Havanaspeak with eye on votebank, says Advani

After the public singing of Vande Mataram, as part of the Gaurav Gan Samaroh, Advani criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s joint statement with Pakistan, saying it was motivated by 8220;votebank politics8221;. The Havana statement, he said, was made at the cost of national security. 8220;How can Singh say Pakistan is a victim of terrorism and call for a joint movement? India is a victim of terrorism, not Pakistan8230;After the Mumbai train blasts, India had clearly pointed fingers at Pakistan. But Singh shocked everyone by making the Havana statement. The BJP will never approve,8221; he said. 8216;8217;Congress has always practised votebank politics. And once again it has done the same8217;8217;.

Advani said it was votebank politics that determined the Congress reaction to the Vande Mataram controversy which led to Sonia Gandhi and HRD Minister Arjun Singh keeping away from the celebrations. He said the Congress may have said later that September 7 was a historically inaccurate date but his party would continue the celebrations.

In Delhi, Rajnath Singh echoed the party8217;s criticism of the Indo-Pak joint statement, saying India must 8220;put an end to all confidence-building measures CBMs unless Pakistan banned terrorist activities on its territory8221;.

Rajnath Singh, who was speaking at a function organised at the Vithalbhai Patel Bhawan to mark the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyay, claimed that the UPA Government was working 8220;under pressure from some foreign power to resume the peace dialogue with Pakistan8221;.

Referring to President Musharraf8217;s claim that the Kargil offensive forced India to come to the negotiating table, the BJP chief said the two countries had fought many wars and after every war, world powers had patted Pakistan but 8220;it is a tribute to the diplomatic skills of Atal Behari Vajpayee that no one patted Pakistan8217;s back after the Kargil8221;.

Singh said whenever the BJP won a majority in Parliament, it would amend the Constitution and place Vande Mataram under Article 51-A to ensure respect for the national song. 8220;Those who do not respect Vande Mataram have no right to stay on the soil of Hindustan,8221; he said.