BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay said the party has checked with its 'MEA sources', who have indicated that efforts were on to establish a dialogue with Taliban and Hikmetyar.
BJP today termed as "shocking" news reports that India was planning to hold talks with Taliban and demanded that the government come out with an explanation on the issue.
"News reports quoting authentic sources have indicated that the government is changing its Afghanistan policy and has shown willingness to talk to Taliban and the Hizb-e-Islami group headed by Gulbuddin Hikmetyar.
"This needs government's clarification. If the reports are true, the shift in India's Afghan policy must be explained to the people," BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay told reporters here.
He said India's strategy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, "if there exists one" must be primarily aimed at safeguarding out interests and to ensure checking of anti-terror groups and not holding dialogue with "bloodthirsty elements".
Asked whether the BJP's reaction was based merely on news reports, Vijay said the party has checked with its "MEA sources", who have indicated that efforts were on to establish a dialogue with Taliban and Hikmetyar.
"After failure on the Headley issue and a meaningless dialogue with Pakistan under US pressure, engaging Taliban comes as another shocking feature of UPA's unending compromises with anti-India elements," he charged.
To a question whether BJP would support talks with Maoists, he said if they abjure violence, then the party would welcome such a move. "If Taliban too says that they are willing to abjure violence, then what is the problem," he added.
The BJP spokesperson said external affairs minister SM Krishna "must answer the reasons of showing willingness to have a dialogue with the regressive elements that have been working for the ISI. Their anti-India operations have bled us for the last two decades."
He, however, sidestepped a question on why the BJP-led dispensation invited then Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf for talks after he took over following a coup and was instrumental in the Kargil conflict.
"I have given answers to a question on an earlier occasion," he said.
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