PM, PC differ on terror

Contradictory postures adopted by prime minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram on the terror threat emanating from Pakistan have again exposed the confusion in the United Progressive Alliance government on its policy towards Islamabad.

Coming in the course of the chief ministers’ conference, convened to assess the country’s preparedness against terrorism, differing perceptions of the two top UPA leaders led to an air of disbelief in Delhi’s power corridors. It provided Pakistan a handle to ‘browbeat’ India into divulging the basis of Singh’s reference to Pakistan-centric terror outfits planning fresh attacks.

Singh seemed to be in damage control mode after his Balouchistan reference in the Indo-Pak joint statement at Sharm El-Sheikh created an upheaval, with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition launching an all-out attack against the government.