New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday lashed out at Congress for criticising government over Pathankot attack, saying its "shameful" statements will boost the morale of people with "anti-national mindset", but the ruling party parried queries on castigation from ally Shiv Sena.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that Congress chose to question those who are fighting to eliminate terrorism and not the actions of terrorists. "For the last few days Congress has been speaking in this voice. But it has crossed all limits today.
At a time when it should keep in mind the sentiments of people, it is questioning the martyrdom of our personnel.... "What is unfortunate is that Congress is trying to mislead the country and create confusion on such a sensitive issue and it in a way boosts the morale of people with anti-national mindset. What it has said is shameful and untrue. Such statements show its irresponsible behaviour on the matter of national security," he told a press conference.
Naqvi said that the whole country was speaking in one voice on the issue. On Congress' demand that the government share the outcomes of its engagements with Pakistan, Naqvi retorted that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had made a statement in Parliament about this but Congress "was then busy disrupting it to protect the corruption of one family", a dig at the Gandhi family.
Swaraj, he noted, had made a statement in both the Houses on December 14 last in which she spoke at length about recent developments relating to ties between India and Pakistan. "It has answers to all the questions asked by Congress," Naqvi said, waving Swaraj's statement. Stepping up attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his government's handling of Pakistan affairs in the wake of Pathankot attack, Congress today said he believes in optics and asked the government to share outcomes of its engagement with the neighbour.
BJP's ally Shiv Sena too took on the government on the issue, saying it had warned Modi not to trust Pakistan and that time has now come for him to focus on India rather than trying to unite the world. "The attack has proven that our borders are not safe, India's internal security is in shambles and the only national work being done is giving condolences for the martyrs on social networking sites," the Sena said in a hard-hitting editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'
Naqvi, however, parried queries on Sena's criticism, saying, "when the operation is still on, we will not ask any question or give answers". The operation against terrorists who attacked Pathankot air base entered its fourth day today with security personnel engaged in search and combing operations to sanitise the installation.
Comments
0 comment