ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan has condemned the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s provocative statements, saying that such remarks from a senior minister in the Indian government provide another insight into the BJP mindset – a mix of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions, and obsession with Pakistan.
Last Sunday, while addressing election rallies in Haryana, Rajnath Singh asked Pakistan to wage an honest battle against terrorism, saying that India is ready to help it but Islamabad’s intentions are deceitful.
The Indian defence minister also cautioned Pakistan that it will disintegrate if it doesn’t mend its ways.
“We condemn recent statements made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during election rallies in Haryana,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The statement said that it is highly irresponsible of the Indian defence minister to be threatening the splitting of a sovereign country.
“We are sure that the world community would take cognizance. For his part, Mr. 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,” it said.
“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. India must also cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan,” the statement added.
The statement further stated that it is a well-established pattern that whenever there are elections in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership whips up anti-Pakistan sentiment to rally support for its candidates. It stated that as we have stressed before, the BJP should contest elections on the basis of its own performance, rather than dragging Pakistan into the domestic political foray for electoral gains.
