Pakistan on Tuesday condemned the recent provocative statements made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during election rallies in Haryana, terming these an insight into the mindset of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A Foreign Office statement said the BJP mindset is a mix of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions and obsession with Pakistan. “It is highly irresponsible of the Indian defence minister to be threatening the splitting of a sovereign country,” the statement read, adding that the world community should take cognizance of the matter.
The Foreign Office said Rajnath Singh should have no doubt that the security forces and people of Pakistan remain ready to resolutely defend the country against any evil design. “We also reject his gratuitous comments on help in counter-terrorism. India would help itself by ceasing forthwith the state-terrorism it has been perpetrating for decades against the Kashmiri people in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement said.
FO asks New Delhi to cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan
The Foreign Office emphasized that India must also cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan. “It is a well-established pattern that whenever there are elections in India, the BJP leadership whips up anti-Pakistan sentiment to rally support for its candidates,” it said. “The BJP should contest elections on the basis of its own performance, rather than dragging Pakistan into the domestic political foray for electoral gains,” it added.
This is not the first time that Singh has made such inflammatory remarks. In 2016, he was reported as saying that Pakistan would ‘soon be in ten pieces’ if cross-border terrorism does not come to an end. In August this year, the Indian defence minister had come under fire for his comments on the ‘no first use’ policy regarding nuclear weapons.
