First act, then talk: Rajnath to Imran

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took a dim view of Pakistan Premier Imran Khan’s remark that a win for Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections would revive hopes for Indo-Pak peace, saying he should instead ensure that “terrorism” is wiped out completely from his country.

Singh also said that India would extend all help to Pakistanin “fighting terrorism” if it shows sincerity in eradicating the menaceemanating from its soil.

   

Asked during an interview to PTI on Sunday whether therecent statement by Khan that it would be good for peace between India andPakistan if BJP and Modi returned to power showed he was a fan of the Indianpremier, Singh said, “Only he (Khan) can reply to that”.

After a brief pause, Singh smilingly said if Khan was soserious of wanting Modi to return to power and normalize relations with Indiathen he should first announce that “terrorism would neither be nurtured norallowed to thrive” in Pakistan and take effective steps to “stamp putterrorism.”

“Pakistan should announce that terrorism will be wipedout completely from their country and if need be help of India can be taken. Ifsuch a statement comes from Pakistan, we will believe that Imran Khan is reallya Modi fan and wishes to normalise relations with India,” he said.

To a question whether India would be willing to helpPakistan, Singh said, “India will wholeheartedly support such astep”.

A day before the first phase of polling for Lok Sabhaelections on April 10, Khan met with a group of foreign journalists for aninteraction in Islamabad during which he expressed the hope that India-Pakistanpeace had a “better chance under Mr. Modi”

The BJP veteran also accused Congress of diluting India’sstand on “terrorism emanating from Pakistan.”

“In 2004, (Gen Pervez) Musharraf had agreed for astatement that Pakistan’s soil will not be used for terrorism. A year later,during Congress rule a statement was made by New Delhi that Pakistan is avictim of terrorism as India…This was a blunder.”

He also defended Modi’s decision to invite the then PakistanPrime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in May 2014 and alsofor making an unscheduled visit to his home in Lahore Pakistan.  “We wanted to experiment but things didnot work the way we wanted.”

Asked whether an invitation will again be extended to  the Pakistani premier if the NDA retainspower, Singh said, “It’s too early to say who will be called and who willbe kept away.”

On Balakot air strike in February this year, Singh said theCongress should have refrained from repeatedly questioning the government aboutthe “number of terrorists killed” in the attack.

However, Singh side-stepped a reply to a pointed questionthat the “figure of 300 terrorists being killed” was first stated by BJP chiefAmit Shah.

But he hastened to add, “Now see even a foreignjournalist has said that nearly 170 were killed.” 

Singh was apparently referring to a claim by an Italianjournalist earlier this month that the Balakot air strike killed 130-170 JeMmen.           

Asked for clarity on the number of deaths since several weeks have now passed after the air strike, he said, “I will only say that it was an intelligence-based successful anti-terror operation which has been unheard of in the history of the nation.”

PTI

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