Sanjeev Pargal

 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that Narendra Modi-led Government has confined terrorism only to Jammu and Kashmir as no major terror attack has been reported in the country and added that the success was possible because of “adequate precautions” and “action plan” put into force.
He directed Jammu and Kashmir Government to take effective action in the rape of three-year old girl at Sumbal in Bandipora district of Kashmir valley.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP Headquarters in New Delhi this afternoon just five days ahead of seventh and final phase of polling, Rajnath charged the previous Manmohan Singh Government with “weakening fight” against terrorism by stating that Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism and coining the slogan of “Hindu terrorism”.
“Our Government has achieved significant success on anti-terror front. Except for Jammu and Kashmir, no major terror incident has been reported in the country,” Rajnath said but added that none can say that there will be no terror attack in future. However, he said, the Government has taken several precautions and put an Action Plan in force against the terrorism.
The Home Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought international community onboard in fight against terrorism, which had been weakened by Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government with its actions.
“While late Atal Behari Vajpayee had managed to get a commitment from then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan will not allow its land to be used for terrorism, Manmohan Singh reverted the success achieved by Vajpayee by stating that not only India but Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism,” Rajnath recalled.
Later, he said, Congress floated new theory of “Hindu and Bhagwa terrorism”, which further weakened the fight against terror.
“It was commitment of our Government that every person should feel safe and secure,” he added.
Responding to a question on rape of 3-year old girl at Sumbal in Bandipora district of Kashmir valley, the Home Minister called upon the State Government to take effective action and nab the accused.
Protests had rocked Kashmir during last two days against rape of three-year-old girl at Sumbal. The accused was still at large.
Rajnath described as major diplomatic success of Narendra Modi Government the declaration of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as “global terrorist”.
“It was a major success on the diplomatic front,” he said.
Expressing confidence that the BJP will win more seats than it did in 2014, senior party leader Rajnath Singh today said a two-thirds majority for the NDA cannot be ruled out.
The Union Home Minister said the opposition should reveal who is their Prime Ministerial candidate?
“I have reached a conclusion that BJP will win more seats in Lok Sabha polls than it did in 2014. Two-thirds majority for NDA cannot be ruled out. The hope people had from the Prime Minister in the 2014 elections has turned into confidence this time,” Singh said.
“Last time, it was Modiji versus Sonia Gandhi/Manmohan Singh. This time it is Modiji versus who? It is unknown. The opposition should not keep people in dark, should reveal its PM candidate,” he said.
He also asked the Congress to respond to Mani Shankar Aiyar justifying his 2017 “neech aadmi” remark about the Prime Minister.
“Congress should give its response to Aiyar’s comment that his claim about Modi was correct,” Rajnath said.
PTI adds: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took a dim view of Pakistan Premier Imran Khan’s remark that a win for Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections will revive hopes for Indo-Pak peace, saying he should instead ensure that terrorism is wiped out completely from his country.
Singh also said that India would extend all help to Pakistan in fighting terrorism if it shows sincerity in eradicating the menace emanating from its soil.
Asked during an interview to PTI otherday whether the recent statement by Khan that it would be good for peace between India and Pakistan if BJP and Modi returned to power showed he was a fan of the Indian premier, Singh said, “Only he (Khan) can reply to that”.
After a brief pause, Singh smilingly said if Khan was so serious of wanting Modi to return to power and normalize relations with India then he should first announce that terrorism would neither be nurtured nor allowed to thrive in Pakistan and take effective steps to stamp put terrorism.
“Pakistan should announce that terrorism will be wiped out completely from their country and if need be help of India can be taken. If such a statement comes from Pakistan, we will believe that Imran Khan is really a Modi fan and wishes to normalize relations with India,” he said.
To a question whether India would be willing to help Pakistan, Singh said, “India will wholeheartedly support such a step”.
A day before the first phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on April 10, Khan met with a group of foreign journalists for an interaction in Islamabad during which he expressed the hope that India-Pakistan peace had a “better chance under Mr. Modi”
He also defended Modi’s decision to invite the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in May 2014 and also for making an unscheduled visit to his home in Lahore Pakistan.
“We wanted to experiment but things did not work the way we wanted.”
Asked whether an invitation will again be extended to the Pakistani premier if the NDA retains power, Singh said, “It’s too early to say who will be called and who will be kept away.”
On Balakote air strike in February this year, Singh said the Congress should have refrained from repeatedly questioning the Government about the number of terrorists killed in the attack.
However, Singh side-stepped a reply to a pointed question that the figure of 300 terrorists being killed was first stated by BJP chief Amit Shah.
But he hastened to add, “Now see even a foreign journalist has said that nearly 170 were killed.”
Singh was apparently referring to a claim by an Italian journalist earlier this month that the Balakote air strike killed 130-170 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists.
Asked for clarity on the number of deaths since several weeks have now passed after the air strike, he said, “I will only say that it was an intelligence-based successful anti-terror operation which has been unheard of in the history of the nation.”

Courtesy:Daily Excelsior,May 15,2019