Yashwant Sinha was External Affairs Minister in the previous NDA regime.
On the eve of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's visit to Pakistan, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today questioned the government's strategy on dealing with Pakistan.
Mr Sinha, who was the External Affairs Minister from mid-2002 to the end of the BJP-led government's tenure in 2004, said the government needs to explain to the country why it is resuming the dialogue with Pakistan. He said the BJP's stated position is that talks and terror cannot go on together.
"Terrorist attacks are going on throughout and India itself says that Pakistan is behind them. So what is the point then (in holding the talks). The government owes it to the people of this country to tell them why they are resuming the dialogue," Mr Sinha said.
The BJP's ally Shiv Sena also criticised the secret NSA level talks in Bangkok last week. The Congress echoed Mr Sinha's objection.
Raising the issue at start of Rajya Sabha proceedings, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify India's engagement with Pakistan and take Parliament and the opposition into confidence about the direction and roadmap that government has in mind.
The government said Ms Swaraj will make a statement on the issue on December 10. She leaves tomorrow for the multilateral conference in Islamabad, where she will also hold talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz.
"The fact that the Foreign Secretaries have accompanied the National Security Advisors means that the scope and the agenda (of the talks) have been expanded. We demand the government takes Parliament into confidence and the Prime Minister shares as to what has been the understanding reached between him and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the government now to move forward," Mr Sharma said.