The Newshour Debate: BJP completely on backfoot - 1

Minister of State for External Affairs Minister V K Singh today represented the government at the Pakistan National Day reception at the High Commission in New Delhi amidst the controversy sparked by Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit's comments that India was not against his interactions with Kashmiri separatist leaders. Singh, former Army Chief, attended the celebrations, where several Kashmiri separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yaseen Malik were also present. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar was also present. The minister stayed for 15 minutes at the reception which was held on a day India and Pakistan sparred over Hurriyat leaders' confabulations with Basit, with New Delhi making it clear that there was no role for a third party.

In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Nalin Kohli, National Spokesperson, BJP & Advocate; Firdous Tak, MLC, PDP; Shahid Siddiqui, Chief Editor, Nai Duniya; Dr Ajoy Kumar, Spokesperson, Congress; Maroof Raza, Strategic Affairs Analyst; Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, Chairman, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement and Rashneek Kher, Founder Member, Roots in Kashmir -- discuss whether the govt is giving a long rope to Pakistan now.