Congress Criticised the Suspension of Pakistan Talks. Its Own Record Invited Comparison.

In August 2014, the newly elected Modi government suspended Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan after Pakistan's High Commissioner, Abdul Basit, met Hurriyat Conference leaders in New Delhi. India had long objected to such engagement, viewing it as interference in matters it regarded as internal to Jammu and Kashmir. A formal demarche was issued, and the talks scheduled for August 25 were called off.

Congress criticised the decision, arguing that it reflected diplomatic mismanagement and a lack of strategic poise.

That criticism, however, was quickly examined in light of the UPA's own record. Over the preceding decade, Congress-led governments had themselves suspended and resumed dialogue with Pakistan on multiple occasions, including after grave terrorist incidents such as the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Critics therefore argued that the party's response overlooked an established pattern in its own approach.

The Modi government maintained that it was enforcing a clear diplomatic red line: Pakistan could not engage separatist interlocutors in New Delhi while simultaneously pursuing official talks with India. Formal dialogue did not resume until December 2015.