New Delhi:: The NDA's vice presidential nominee Venkaiah Naidu has warned Pakistan on terror asking it recalled what happened in 1971.The former Union minister wants Pakistan to remember India's victory over it in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 so that it realises what may happen if it continues to pursue terrorism as a ‘state policy’.
"Our neighbour should understand that aiding and abetting terror will not help them, they should recall what happened in 1971...Terrorism is the enemy of humanity, it has no religion. Pakistan is mixing terrorism with religion. It has unfortunately become Pakistan's state policy," said Naidu in an address at the 'Kargil Parakram Parade' in the Capital. The annual parade honours the martyrs of the Kargil conflict of 1999.
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.
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.
On the occasion of the 'Kargil Parakram Parade', Naidu also hit out at Pakistan for not just meddling in Kashmir but also actively supporting terror in the state. He recalled the bravery and sacrifice of solders who got back from Pakistan Kashmir's Kargil district in the fierce conflict of May-June 1999.
"Ours is a peace loving country. We never want war. But when this highly coveted peace is denied to us, our brave soldiers respond in a befitting manner...We are too strong to lose our focus on the country's development and betterment of the country," Naidu said.
"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.
Naidu's warning also comes amid growing weariness worldwide at Islamabad's continued inaction on terrorist safe havens and terror acts perpetrated allegedly by its proxies in India and in Afghanistan.
The Trump administration in the US has already said it was blocking $350 million in coalition support funds to Pakistan as it had not taken "sufficient actions" agaist the dreaded Haqqani terror network. And on Wednesday, the US listed Pakistan among the nations providing " safe havens " to terrorists, saying terror groups like the LeT and JeM continued to operate, train, organise and fund-raise inside the country.