In a stern warning to Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday
said that it cannot be business as usual after the brutal beheading of
an Indian soldier on the Line of Control in Poonch sector in Jammu and
Kashmir last week.
In his first comments after the January 8 killing of two Indian soldiers
on the LoC by Pakistani Army regulars who also beheaded one of them,
Dr. Singh stressed that those responsible for the barbaric act of
beheading of Lance Naik Hemraj should be brought to book. He expressed
hope that Pakistan would realise this.
"After this barbaric act there cannot be business as usual (with
Pakistan),’’ Dr. Singh said while responding to questions by journalists
here at the Army Day reception, hosted by the Army Chief General Bikram
Singh.
When it was pointed out to him that Pakistan remained in a denial mode
on the cross-LoC raid and ambush of Indian soldiers, the Prime Minister
said: "We will keep on trying".
Asked about the options vis-a-vis Pakistan, he said that these could not
be discussed in the open. Dr. Singh’s comments came a day after the
Army Chief gave a tough message to Pakistan, saying that India reserved
its right to retaliate at a time and place of its choosing.
It's Barbaric says Khurshid
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also told journalists that
India has taken a "very firm position" with Pakistan on the issue of
beheading an Indian soldier. He said the was "totally unacceptable and
barbaric.’’
Asked about Monday’s Flag Meeting between India and Pakistan on the LoC,
Mr. Khurshid said: "We may not be happy with the outcome but the
process is still on.’’
The Prime Minister had spoken to senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and
Arun Jaitley on Monday and assured them of keeping the Opposition in
loop about decisions relating to Pakistan. The BJP had criticised the
Prime Minister for his silence on the issue and not sending a strong
message to Pakistan.
According to PTI reports, after his tough talk at the Army Day
reception, Dr. Singh met President Pranab Mukherjee and briefed him on
the situation.
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