Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Excerpts From Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Speech

ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS ~India wants peaceful relations with Pakistan but is well prepared to meet any eventuality if Islamabad exercises the option of nuclear weapons against India. We have always said we are for no-first use of nuclear weapons. We are being threatened with a nuclear attack. Do they understand what it means? If Pakistan thinks that it can destroy India by a nuclear bomb, it is grossly mistaken.~

ON KASHMIR ISSUE ~Pakistan wants to talk only about Kashmir. We are ready. We will talk of one-third of Kashmir that belongs to India and is occupied by Pakistan. Entire Jammu & Kashmir forms a part of India and we will not rest till the remaining part of Kashmir is secured. Pakistan has been trying to snatch Kashmir since 1947 through deception and betrayal

~The question of referendum in Jammu & Kashmir does not arise. Referendum in Jammu & Kashmir was subject to withdrawal of forces by Pakistan from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Since Pakistan did not fulfill that condition, there is no question of any referendum in Jammu &Kashmir. In any case, the people of Jammu & Kashmir had joined the Indian Union of their own free will after Partition and they had reiterated this free will in the 1977 election held during the Janata Party regime. Even Pakistan had accepted that election as free and fair.

~We do not accept Pakistan's argument that Kashmir should have gone to them because it is a Muslim-majority State. India has more Muslims than Pakistan's population. India belongs to all and we will not allow another division of the country along the lines it was partitioned. India will not succumb to international pressure in resolving any dispute. We shall fight as along as we live and till we win. India will take the fight to its logical conclusion till Pakistan shelves its evil designs on the Kashmir valley. We want peace, but are prepared to defend our unity and integrity at all costs.~

ON PAKISTAN SPONSORING TERRORISM

~Pakistan is sponsoring cross-border terrorism as it has its internal compulsions. Pakistan has been smarting ever since its defeat in 1971 and the formation of Bangladesh, and now it has been humiliated in Kargil. Though the battle for Kargil is over, the war against terrorism will continue till Pakistan does not stop sponsoring terrorism. There can be no meaningful talks with Pakistan till it stops cross-border terrorism.~