‘Foreign policy can’t be impulsive’

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “drop-in” at Lahore on Christmas Day was an “impulsive” step, adding that “rhetoric and U-turns do not make a coherent foreign policy”.

He said that the Congress does not support impulsive moves but supports engagement based on a clear, consistent and coherent foreign policy.

Mr Chidambaram said the people of India are not impressed by the numerous visits made by the Prime Minister to foreign countries. People have begun to ask hard questions on the gains made through these visits. Drawing attention to India’s troubled relations with Pakistan, Nepal and the Maldives, he said on Pakistan, more and more people are asking if the government has a clear and consistent policy at all.

In Nepal, India seems to have lost the goodwill of all concerned.

Refuting the Bharatiya Janata Party ministers’ charge that the Congress has become obstructionist in Parliament, he said: “Let me remind everyone that we have cooperated with the government in passing 67 and 45 bills in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively, during the last 19 months.” The role of the Opposition in a parliamentary democracy is “to oppose, expose and depose” and our opposition to the government’s wrong policies or poorly drafted laws or ill-conceived schemes, acts of misconduct, misuse of government agencies cannot be termed “obstructionism”, he said. The Congress will support any policy, programme that will advance “peace and harmony, economic development and social welfare. But the onus lies on the government to win the cooperation of all Opposition parties,” he said.

Asked the Congress’ reaction on the odd-even formula introduced in Delhi he said, “speaking for myself, I support the odd-even plan...”

Asked about the fiannce minister’s statement that shrinking strength of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha will give way for the passage of GST Bill, Mr Chidambaram said which means the FM does not believe in the intrinsic strength of GST, he believes in the numbers of the Rajya Sabha.

On the question of possible alliance with DMK in the coming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, he said I think the correct words of DMK are “when we invite other political parties; we shall not ignore the Congress Party”. That is a very guarded statement and I am sure the response of the Congress Party is also at the moment a guarded response. So let us see how things take shape.

Asked the Congress’ reaction on the odd-even formula introduced in Delhi he said, “speaking for myself, I support the odd-even plan...”

I think it is important that for short periods of time, such plans must be implemented in order to change peoples’ behaviour. It cannot be kept permanently there but for 15 days from time to time. If they introduce plans like this, I think the peoples’ behaviour will change. There will be more car-pooling, people will take the Metro, people will walk to the market which is 100 Mts. away. So I think behaviour will change but let us see how it works. I wish them well.”

On the question of giving Indian citizenship to Adnan Sami, he said I do not know the facts of the case but if he deserves to get an Indian citizenship, then why not and as far as the Government is concerned, what is surprising about U-turns.