Pakistan slams Rajnath’s provocative statements

ISLAMABAD: 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 was 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,” it said, adding the world community should take cognisance of the matter. The Foreign Office said Singh should have no doubt that the security forces and people of Pakistan remained 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,” it said.

“India must also cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan,” it said, adding: “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.”