Srinagar: Former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has criticised the BJP-led Centre for ruling out dialogue with Pakistan, saying India has shown the courage to carry out surgical strikes but not to sit across the table with its neighbour.

Speaking at the fifth 'Halla Bolle' conclave in Srinagar on Sunday, the Congress veteran suggested that India and Pakistan could even hold talks at the Attari-Wagah border, allowing both sides to engage without either delegation having to cross into the other's territory.

He said India was being "seen as hypocritical" because it tells the world that "this is not an era of war" while going to war with Pakistan.

"We seem to have the courage to go into surgical strikes with them. Why don't we have the courage to sit across the table with them? Why can't we talk to them? Why can't we make friends with them?" he asked.

"Is there any other country in the world with whom we are more comfortable than with Pakistan? Is there any country in the world with whom Pakistan is more able to, you know, chat than with us?" he asked.

Referring to earlier dialogue initiatives between the two countries, Aiyar asked, "Why don't we show the courage to go there, and let them come here?"

"And if you don't have that courage, then my suggestion is that we meet at Wagah-Attari. Place a table right on our border line so that the Pakistani delegation doesn't leave Pakistan to talk to us, and we don't leave India to talk to them. And keep this dialogue going," he said.

Aiyar said sustained dialogue could help the two sides identify issues that could be resolved and those that would have to be kept aside for the time being.

"Wherever a resolution emerges, let us take action on that. And whatever hasn't been resolved, just postpone it, saying that for now it seems we cannot agree on this, but we will continue our dialogue. And whenever the atmosphere changes, then we will take up these remaining issues as well," he added.

He also rejected the idea of allowing disputes rooted in the past to prevent engagement between the two countries.

"I think the only way we can arrive at any kind of constructive conclusion is by talking to them, however long it takes. And that is what the Americans did with the Russians. They never broke the diplomatic relationship; they never broke the dialogue. Sensible countries talk to each other; stupid countries don't talk to each other," he said.

On the political situation in India, Aiyar said changes could be brought about if parties opposed to the Hindutva political ideology came together.

'It is very easy to fix what is wrong with the Indian political environment.

"And to do that, you only have to follow the advice given by (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti to Kashmiris, where she said that until all Kashmiris get together with a single voice, Delhi will not be influenced by individual Kashmiri leaders coming to Delhi," he said.

The former Union minister said the same principle could be applied to national politics, arguing that the non-Hindutva political forces could unite through the INDIA bloc.

"It can come together because we already have the INDIA bloc. And if the INDIA bloc comes together, we showed in the 2024 election that had we consolidated that bloc, we would have easily got the extra eight seats that are required to bring about a majority. And do you think Nitish would have joined him? Do you think Chandrababu would have joined him? No," he said.

"We would have been in Delhi, and Kashmir would have got back its statehood. Kashmir might even have received back Article 370 and 35A, perhaps in a slightly different shape. But if you want to make progress, those who disagree have to get together. And if we get together, then we can make new initiatives on Pakistan," he added.

Aiyar stressed that dialogue was central to the Indian tradition and said different stakeholders within Jammu and Kashmir also needed to be brought into the conversation.

"We need to talk to Srinagar, Srinagar needs to talk to Jammu, the street's voice needs to be brought into the discussion between the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan," he said.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Aiyar again said India was "seen as hypocritical".

"That is because we tell the world this is not an era of war, and then we go to war with Pakistan. We say that there should be diplomacy and dialogue. The only countries with which we don't have diplomacy and dialogue is Pakistan," he said.

Aiyar also criticised India's foreign policy towards China and the United States, saying India's decision to join the Quad had annoyed Beijing.

He said the country has annoyed China by joining Quad.

"And now even America is saying that Quad doesn't matter. So what kind of a diplomacy is this? It has nothing to do with our strategic autonomy. It has everything to do with trying to play both sides against the middle. This is transactional, it's not moral," he added.