New Delhi: M Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA's vice-presidential candidate, today issued a strong warning to Pakistan, saying their abetment of terror will not help and they "should recall what happened in 1971".
The neighbouring country was listed among the regions providing "safe havens to terrorists" by the US this week. The list mentioned that terror groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e Taiba continued to operate, train and raise funds from Pakistan through the last year.
"Our neighbour is restless... (it) doesn't allow other nations to rest but they should understand that we are united. People from Kashmir to Kanyakumari are united. We are united to fight back," said Mr Naidu.
The reference was to the war of 1971, during which India had given a fitting response to Pakistani hostilities. The 13-day war had ended with the liberation of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh.
The Union minister in charge of information and broadcasting had stepped down last week after being chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate by the BJP, which leads the government at the Centre.
Days ahead of the elections, slated for August 5, Mr Naidu was speaking at the Kargil Parakram Parade, arranged in Delhi every year in the memory of Kargil martyrs. The 1999 conflict had also led to humiliation of Pakistan when their forces had infiltrated into Indian positions in some of the forward posts of Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district.
Pakistan should remember that "Kashmir is integral part of India", Mr Naidu said today. India won't allow anyone to take "even an inch of Kashmir". India, he added, was a "peace-loving non-violent" country. "We want to have good relations with our neighbours, but they should also reciprocate... Our neighbour should understand that aiding and abetting terror will not help them... they should recall what happened in 1971," he added.
His comments come amid the increasing number of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts+ along the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistan in recent months. Eleven persons, including nine soldiers, were killed, and 18 people injured, in as many as 18 ceasefire violations by Pakistan this month, said PTI.
And this year, the Army foiled a total of 22 infiltration bids along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. It also killed 38 armed intruders in these operations. One such infiltration bid was foiled on Sunday in the Machil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.
In its annual 'Country Report on Terrorism', the US state department said the 2008 Mumbai attacks' mastermind and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed continued to address large rallies, although in February 2017 Pakistan proscribed him under its Anti-Terrorism Act.
Pakistan needs to set its own house in order to improve the situation within its borders instead of meddling in other countries' affairs, said Naidu.
They "should focus on their own country and maintain peace there," he said. While its proxies perpetrate acts of terror in other countries, Pakistan itself is one of the worst hit in the world by homegrown terror.
The former Union minister isn't the only who believes that either.
Just last month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the human rights situation in Pakistan.
The resolution, which was adopted by majority, expressed grave concern over the "roll-back in Pakistan of the respect for human rights and the rule of law," in particular the freedom granted to security forces, the use of military courts, the crackdown on NGOs, the intimidation of human rights defenders and religious minorities, and the increase in extrajudicial killings, reported IANS.
The European Parliament also highlighted the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav who was sentenced to death in April 2017 by a Pakistani military court. Jadhav was not allowed access to consular services despite several requests by the Indian government. That is a breach of international law.
Then, in May, the Pakistani army mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers after a ceasefire violation along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. That was a breach of the Geneva Convention.
"We want to have good relationship with Pakistan which is our neighbour, but they are not behaving accordingly - crossing the border, mutilating the jawans - it is brutal. It has to be condemned and the international community should also understand this," he said. Last Monday, the ruling NDA announced it has picked Naidu to be its candidate for the vice presidential election which will be held August 5. Upon his name being announced, Naidu resigned from his ministerial posts and also quit the BJP.
He's widely expected to be a shoo-in in the election for vice president.
