NEW DELHI, Sept 19:
Indo-Pak relationship will not be same again and India’s patience with the neighbour is running out, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said.
Union Law and Information Technology Minister said the Modi Government will take appropriate action keeping in the mind the national interest.
Asked about reports of India weighing options likes surgical strike in Pakistan territory, he told reports that such matters are not discussed with the media.
“Our relationship with Pakistan will not be same again. Our patience is running out. There is a limit to patience. The Government will consider strategic and diplomatic options and take a decision,” he said.
To a question that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing criticism for the gap between his tough rhetoric when BJP was in the opposition and his Government’s action vis-a-vis Pakistan, Prasad said BJP’s policies are in tune with the national interest.
The opposition parties should keep politics away from this matter, he said.
BJP National Secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said the Government will do whatever it has to in the national interest and it is serious about the issue.
“If something has to be done, it will be done. There is no need to talk about it,” he said, adding that it will take action at an appropriate time and has been fully behind army on such matters.
“Whether to respond to Pakistan diplomatically, economically or by some other means is a decision which the Government will take,” he said.
World leaders should come together to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and stop giving it military and other aid, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said and pitched for punishing the perpetrators of the brazen assault on the Army base in Uri in Kashmir.
India will have to respond and punish the perpetrators of the terrorist attack and “can no more take it lying down”, he said.
“The world community should come together to isolate Pakistan, declare it a terrorist state and stop giving it military and all other assistance.
“The UN should take it up in a serious manner as terrorism is the enemy of humanity,” the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister told reporters on the sidelines of an event at Gannavaram near here.
“Pakistan is training, abetting and funding terrorists who want to cripple India’s economy. They want to weaken our country. This is not acceptable at all. India is running out of patience. It was high time we taught a lesson to Pakistan,” he said.
“They (Pakistan) are not walking the talk. Whatever they had promised during the period of Gen Pervez Musharraf…Atal Bihari Vajpayee…They are going back on that. And now you cannot take it lying down.
Pakistan has become a hub of terrorism and is resorting to subversive activities as it cannot win an open war with India, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
“Pakistan has become a big center of terrorism and is resorting to subversive activities as it cannot win an open war with India,” he said on the sidelines of a programme in Guwahati.
“Pakistan is encouraging terrorism and that is a serious matter,” the Union HRD minister said, adding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today holding a high-level meeting with top ministers and other officials over the deadly terror attack in Uri.
“We want both the countries to go forward on the path of development peacefully,” Javadekar said.
India will carefully decide its future course of action in the aftermath of the terror attack in Uri and will not do anything on the basis of what Pakistan says, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
“We must not pay heed to Pakistan’s reaction. Everything is in front of the people. We will take our next steps carefully. It does not matter what Pakistan says,” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called Pakistan a “factory of terrorism”, which had become a threat to the world.
He said peace of entire world and human values were in danger due to terror forces which were being protected and supported by Pakistan.
Naqvi, while releasing the book “Samaj Bachao Sandesh” here, said immediate steps were needed to treat this disease of terrorism.
Peace of the entire world and human values were in danger due to terror forces which were being protected and supported by Pakistan, the Minister said.
Targeting Pakistan, Naqvi said the country had been using terrorism as a state policy against India, but the Narendra Modi government had assured the nation that in “battle of peace vs terrorism; terror and its masters will be destroyed”.
Paying tributes to soldiers killed in yesterday’s Uri terror attack, he said Indian Army was capable of defeating any conspiracy against India. “India wants good relations with all its neighbors but if Pakistan doesn’t stop using its soil for anti-India activities, it will have to pay a heavy price.”
Due to “zero tolerance” policy adopted by the Narendra Modi government against terrorism, Pakistan had been exposed before the entire world, he said.
Describing terrorism and radicalism as biggest enemy of humanity, Naqvi said the entire world should now understand that strict action was needed against the terror elements and their supporters. Stating that terrorism had nothing to do do with religion Naqvi said, “If we will link terrorism with any religion, we will get trapped into conspiracies of terror forces.”
Union Minister and former Army chief V K Singh said the “lacunas” which led to the attack at an Army base in Uri need to be investigated even as he advised the Indian Army to decide on its response “coolly” with proper planning.
“Having seen the Army closely, I feel, it needs to be analysed as to what happened there…It needs to be investigated how the incident took place and what were the lacunas,” the Minister of State for External Affairs said.
“…From the army’s side, alertness is required. The Kashmir situation needs to be thought about. The action has to be taken without getting influenced by emotions, anger. It has to be taken coolly and with proper planning,” Singh said.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have already spoken about the action which will be taken.
“(That action) we will leave it to the Government,” he added.
Condemning the Uri terror attack, in which 17 soldiers were killed, Modi had yesterday said those behind the “despicable” act won’t go unpunished.
Meanwhile, Congress targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Uri terror attack, holding him “singularly responsible for the complete disarray”, and asked if he would act against Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
“India’s borders & National Security has been under siege for last 2 years. Def Min. Should be held accountable (sic),” Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Surjewla tweeted.
In a series of tweets, he attacked Modi and the Centre over the terror strike on an Army base in which 17 soldiers were killed yesterday.
“Will PM Modi show courage of conviction by acting against those responsible in his own command & control structure including his Def Min.? (sic)” Surjewala asked.
“Will PM Modi concede that #UriAttack happened on account of a massive intelligence failure?Despite Poonch incident, why were we unprepared?
“EAM (External Affairs Minister) Sushma Ji is conspicuous by her absence on foreign policy. Isn’t PM Modi singularly responsible for the complete disarray?” he asked.
Surjewala wondered that while Modi has said that the attack won’t go unpunished, “will he traverse the distance from rhetoric to reality by firm & appropriate response?”
“Will Modi Govt tell who leaked info of troop movement & changeover? Why were jawans in tents & not in 2 empty buildings?”, he attacked.
He said the attack is the “final wake up call” for the government which should ask the international community to impose sanctions against Pakistan. “Test for all Nations who oppose terror & stand with India,” he said.
Taking a dig at Parrikar, he said the Defence Minister is “busy threatening fellow Indians like Aamir Khan” and asked whether the priorities have gone wrong for the Government.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a financial aid of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of four jawans from the State killed in the terrorist attack in Uri in Kashmir.
“The Chief Minister has announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of four jawans from Uttar Pradesh killed in Uri yesterday,” a spokesperson said in Luknow.
In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to three soldiers, hailing from Bihar, who were killed in Uri.
The CM also announced to accord full State honour to the three martyred soldiers, who belonged to the Bihar regiment.
The martyred soldiers have been identified as S K Vidyarthi from Gaya, Rakesh Singh from Kaimur and Ashok Kumar Singh from Ara in Bhojpur district.
The CM said in an official statement that while minister in-charge of the district of Kaimur and Gaya would be present at the cremation of Rakesh Singh and S K Vidyarthi respectively, the funeral of Ashok Kumar Singh in Ara would be attended by Industries minister Jai Kumar Singh.
Kumar expressed deep sorrow over the terror attack that left 17 jawans dead yesterday.
“The country will always remember their martyrdom,” the CM said.
He prayed to the Almighty to provide strength to the family of the martyred soldiers and said the entire state was with them in this hour of grief.
Meanwhile, sorrow descended at the native villages of the three soldiers with their family and neighbours demanding a matching and stern action against Pakistan for this dastardly act.
In Boknari village of Gaya, an angry Kiran Devi, wife of soldier S K Vidyarthi, sought revenge against Pakistan. The armyman’s daughter Aarti Kumari fought back tears when she said her father died a martyr and demanded a befitting action against Pakistan.
Kin and fellow villagers of soldiers Rakesh Singh of Nuwan village in Kaimur district and Ashok Kumar Singh of Ara in Bhojpur district, bid a tearful adieu to the slain soldiers.
The bodies of the three are expected to reach Patna airport by evening from where it would be sent to respective destinations. (Agencies)
Follow our WhatsApp channel