Need to review foreign policy regarding neighbouring nations: Sharad Pawar

With the Taliban taking over Afghanistan NCP president and former Union minister Sharad Pawar underlined the need to review Indias foreign policy concerning all the neighbouring countriesWe should be alert and will have to take precautions in the long run There was a time when except Pakistan and China our relations with other neighbours were good he told reporters when asked about the Afghanistan crisis Taliban insurgents swept into Afghanistans capital on Sunday after the government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani left the countryUnprecedented scenes and being witnessed in the Afghan capital Kabul where panicstricken people are scurrying to escape from the country It is time to review our foreign policy concerning other countries The situation is not good But it is a sensitive issue We will cooperate with the government since this is about national security the former Defence Minister saidDuring the interaction Pawar also claimed the use of force by marshals during a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha last week was an indirect attack on parliamentarians and if seven Union ministers come together before media to justify the government it shows they are on a weak wicketThe Rajya Sabha member said in his 54 years of parliamentary life he had never seen 40 marshals entering the House during session Pawar further said a probe was needed into the allegations that outsiders entered the House when it was in sessionHe also said any Congress leader from among Abhishek Manu Singhvi P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal should be part of a parliamentary committee on the Pegasus snooping issue Before the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die last Wednesday it witnessed ugly scenes of Opposition members jostling with marshals as they tore papers entered the Well of the Upper House and attempted to go near the presiding officers chairAfter a peaceful debate and the smooth passage of a bill to restore the states powers to identify and notify their own lists of OBCs all hell broke loose when the insurance amendment bill to privatise the staterun general insurance companies was taken up Calling it a selloff the Opposition MPs stormed into the Well of the House shouting antigovernment slogansThey were however prevented from going anywhere near the table of the House or the chair by a wall of about 50 security staff that sort of cordoned off what Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu referred to as the sanctum sanctorum Referring to the din in the House Pawar said We were told some bills are about constitutional amendment The opposition said there is no mention of the Pegasus snooping issue to be discussed Whatever happened happened in front of me since my seat is in the front Some members did go into the WellAs many as 40 marshals were called who physically pushed the MPs which included two women Many rushed to help them The marshals used force which was an indirect attack on the parliamentarians said Pawar whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra He said Sanjay Raut Shiv Senas leader in the Rajya Sabha was physically lifted by marshalsAlso Read Relax 50 pc cap on quota hold castebased census Sharad Pawar to CentreOn August 15 seven Union ministers met Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and demanded action against some Opposition members for their alleged unruly acts in the House on August 11 Pawar said If seven Union ministers come together before media to justify the government it shows they are on a weak wicket The government may take action against the Opposition members but this is very dangerous for democracyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever