DHAKA: The BJP on Saturday expressed ‘delight’ at the decision of Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister while Congress asked the new government to raise issues such as cross-border terrorism, slow pace of trial of 26/11 attackers and handing over of Dawood Ibrahim with the Pakistan premier.

‘This is a delightful piece of news that Pakistan Prime Minister has accepted Narendra Modi’s invitation ... this is the beginning of a new relationship. It is good news,’ BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said in New Delhi.

He said Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar are India’s neighbours. ‘And neighbours cannot be changed,’ he said, reports The Time of India.

But Congress reacted cautiously to the development. Outgoing Union minister Manish Tewari reminded that BJP has all along maintained that terror and talks cannot go together.

He hoped that after assuming office, the BJP government would raise the issue of slow pace of trail of 26/11 attacks — an issue ‘which had been troubling them’.

He also said the issue of people like Hafiz Saeed should also be raised.

BDST: 1954 HRS, MAY 24, 2014