New Delhi:
A day after a Pakistan minister suggested his country was behind the Pulwama terror attack – in which 40 CPRF personnel were killed – Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has demanded that the Congress “apologise to the country” for “conspiracy theories” and remarks about the incident.
“Pakistan has admitted its hand behind Pulwama terror attack. Now, Congress and others who talked of conspiracy theories must apologise to the country,” he tweeted Friday morning.
In February, on the first anniversary of the attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had targeted the BJP, holding the ruling party accountable for “security lapses” and asking “who benefitted the most from the attack?” Mr Gandhi also wanted to know the outcome of the inquiry into the attack.
Pakistan has admitted its hand behind Pulwama terror attack. Now, Congress and others who talked of conspiracy theories must apologise to the country.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) October 30, 2020
The Congress MP wasn’t the only member of his party to have taken on the BJP on this issue, although a comment by his colleague was both shocking and incendiary.
In March last year, shortly after the attack and the retaliatory air strikes, BK Hariprasad, a Karnataka Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP who has a history of controversial statements, said: “… it looks like Narendra Modi had a match-fixing with the people of Pakistan“.
Mr Javadekar’s demand follows an attack by BJP chief JP Nadda, who referred both to the Pakistan minister’s comment and a meeting between the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa – details of which were disclosed in the Pakistan Assembly – after the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
Congress’ princeling does not believe anything Indian, be it our Army, our Government, our Citizens. So, here is something from his ‘Most Trusted Nation’, Pakistan. Hopefully now he sees some light… pic.twitter.com/shwdbkQWai
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) October 29, 2020
Mr Qureshi reportedly told General Bajwa that unless the Wing Commander was released, India would attack Pakistan “that night by 9 pm.”
“Congress’ princeling (a reference to Mr Gandhi) does not believe anything Indian, be it our Army, our Government, our Citizens. So, here is something from his ‘Most Trusted Nation’, Pakistan. Hopefully now he sees some light…” Mr Nadda tweeted.
The Pulwama attack – which took place weeks before last year’s Lok Sabha election – and the ensuing air strikes by the Indian Air Force, triggered political sparring over a narrative built by the BJP around a tough policy against terror that the party repeatedly raised during campaigning.
The Congress and Left were among several who accused the BJP of capitalising on the issue.
On Thursday Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhury had told his country’s national assembly that “humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home)”.
However, faced with an uproar the minister then rephrased his line as: “Pulwama ke waqiyeh ke baad, jab humne India ko ghus ke maara (When we hit India in their home after Pulwama)”.
India responded to the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama with air strikes on a terrorist camp in Pakistan’s Balakot. Pakistan retaliated by sending fighter jets to target Indian military installations.
The strike was blocked but an Indian plane went down across the Line of Control and its pilot, Wing Commander Varthaman, was captured. He was released two days later.
Mr Chaudhury later claimed he was referring to those strikes.
