BJP slams US for ‘flip-flop’ over Headley access
By IANSTuesday, March 23, 2010
NEW DELHI - The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday slammed the US for its alleged “flip-flop” over providing India “direct access” to David Coleman Headley and pressed for extradition of the American-Pakistani terror suspect who has confessed to plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
“It’s a flip-flop on part the US and also of the UPA’s (United Progressive Alliance) foreign policy. The US ambassador is now saying they have not decided on the issue even as Home Minister P. Chidambaram is planning to send a team to the US,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told IANS.
“There is a problem of comprehension or communication here. It shows India is unable to build the pressure on the US,” Javadekar alleged.
Javadekar was reacting to US ambassador Timothy J. Roemer’s statement, saying that the US has yet to decide on giving India “direct access” to Headley.
The envoy’s remarks appeared as a backtracking on part of the US on the issue, specially as only four days ago US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake had said the US will allow Indian investigators to quiz Headley.
“The US should extradite him to India. Headley has, after all, committed a crime in India,” the BJP leader said, adding that his party will raise the issue in parliament when it convenes after a recess April 15.
After Blake’s remarks and a telephonic discussion with US Attorney General Eric Holder, also head of the Department of Justice, Chidambaram had asked the National Investigation Authority and other agencies to prepare documents necessary for questioning Headley.
Sources in the Home Ministry Monday said India is likely to send a team of investigators early April to question the 49-year old Headley.
Last week, Headley pleaded guilty in a Chicago court to all 12 counts brought against him and accepted that he had attended training camps in Pakistan run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which masterminded the Mumbai carnage, on five occasions in 2002-05. He admitted visiting India to map the terror targets.
