New Delhi:
In an exclusive interview to NDTV's Group Editor Barkha Dutt, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has said the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was wrong to say that SM Krishna, his Indian counterpart, backed him in his criticism of India's Home Secretary GK Pillai. (Read: After 6-hour-long talks, Pakistan slams Pillai)
"India did not express any agreement with Pakistan's comments on Pillai," said Nirupama Rao. (Watch: Krishna never backed Qureshi on Pillai: Home Secy)
The Foreign Secretary added that Home Secretary Pillai had raised valid concerns. She said, "We are definitely concerned about the role of state actors in terrorism." (Read & Watch full interview)
She, however, maintained that the talks have not collapsed. "There are differences in perception but the gap is not unbridgeable." She said that the tone and tenor of Qureshi's remarks could have been better, adding, "In diplomacy, as in life, such ups and downs are common." (Read: No breakthrough, public spat: Pak blames India)
In an interview to the Indian Express earlier this week, Pillai had said that David Headley's questioning had confirmed "ISI had a much more significant role to play in Mumbai attacks... ISI was literally controlling and coordinating the attacks from the beginning till the end." Headley was interrogated in America recently by Indian officials. (Read: ISI men gave 25 lakhs to buy boat for Kasab, others, says Headley)
The BJP has attacked SM Krishna for not defending Pillai, who was attacked by the Pakistani Foreign Minister during a press briefing on Thursday night that concluded six-hour talks between Krishna and Qureshi. Yashwant Sinha told NDTV, "He should have contradicted him immediately and set the record straight." (Watch: Regret Krishna did not defend Pillai, says BJP)
During the press conference, Krishna did not object as Qureshi tried to equate remarks made by Pillai about the ISI's alleged role in the 26/11 to hate speeches made against India by Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Hafiz Saeed. (Read: Pillai's remarks uncalled for, says Pakistan)
However on Friday, after returning to India from Islamabad, Krishna was clear in his support of Pillai. "Where is the question of comparison between the two statements? Hafiz Saeed is a person who has been speaking out of turn against India. He has been crying for jihad against India. We have always said such people in Pakistan who incite hostile anti-India propaganda will not help to smoothen the relationship between the two countries. Pillai is supposed to have made a statement to a newspaper which certainly contains whatever has been told to us through our interaction with David Headley," said Krishna. (Indo-Pak talks in pics)
He also stressed that the information provided by Headley, a Lashkar operative arrested by America and interrogated recently by Indian officials, had already been shared with Pakistan by Home Minister P Chidambaram during his trip to Pakistan last month. Sources say that the timing of Pillai's remarks was faulty.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Krishna also responded to SM Qureshi's taunts, made in Islamabad on Friday morning, that Krishna was on the phone repeatedly to New Delhi during his talks with Qureshi. "I never used any telephone...it's an extra-ordinary statement to make..I have not talked to anybody. But Foreign Ministers are always in touch with government leadership...there's nothing wrong with that," he said. "But my mandate was so clear and precise that I did not need any additional instructions from Delhi." (Read: Qureshi taunts Krishna about calls from Delhi)
"India did not express any agreement with Pakistan's comments on Pillai," said Nirupama Rao. (Watch: Krishna never backed Qureshi on Pillai: Home Secy)
The Foreign Secretary added that Home Secretary Pillai had raised valid concerns. She said, "We are definitely concerned about the role of state actors in terrorism." (Read & Watch full interview)
She, however, maintained that the talks have not collapsed. "There are differences in perception but the gap is not unbridgeable." She said that the tone and tenor of Qureshi's remarks could have been better, adding, "In diplomacy, as in life, such ups and downs are common." (Read: No breakthrough, public spat: Pak blames India)
In an interview to the Indian Express earlier this week, Pillai had said that David Headley's questioning had confirmed "ISI had a much more significant role to play in Mumbai attacks... ISI was literally controlling and coordinating the attacks from the beginning till the end." Headley was interrogated in America recently by Indian officials. (Read: ISI men gave 25 lakhs to buy boat for Kasab, others, says Headley)
The BJP has attacked SM Krishna for not defending Pillai, who was attacked by the Pakistani Foreign Minister during a press briefing on Thursday night that concluded six-hour talks between Krishna and Qureshi. Yashwant Sinha told NDTV, "He should have contradicted him immediately and set the record straight." (Watch: Regret Krishna did not defend Pillai, says BJP)
During the press conference, Krishna did not object as Qureshi tried to equate remarks made by Pillai about the ISI's alleged role in the 26/11 to hate speeches made against India by Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Hafiz Saeed. (Read: Pillai's remarks uncalled for, says Pakistan)
However on Friday, after returning to India from Islamabad, Krishna was clear in his support of Pillai. "Where is the question of comparison between the two statements? Hafiz Saeed is a person who has been speaking out of turn against India. He has been crying for jihad against India. We have always said such people in Pakistan who incite hostile anti-India propaganda will not help to smoothen the relationship between the two countries. Pillai is supposed to have made a statement to a newspaper which certainly contains whatever has been told to us through our interaction with David Headley," said Krishna. (Indo-Pak talks in pics)
He also stressed that the information provided by Headley, a Lashkar operative arrested by America and interrogated recently by Indian officials, had already been shared with Pakistan by Home Minister P Chidambaram during his trip to Pakistan last month. Sources say that the timing of Pillai's remarks was faulty.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Krishna also responded to SM Qureshi's taunts, made in Islamabad on Friday morning, that Krishna was on the phone repeatedly to New Delhi during his talks with Qureshi. "I never used any telephone...it's an extra-ordinary statement to make..I have not talked to anybody. But Foreign Ministers are always in touch with government leadership...there's nothing wrong with that," he said. "But my mandate was so clear and precise that I did not need any additional instructions from Delhi." (Read: Qureshi taunts Krishna about calls from Delhi)
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