Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said if Pakistan wants freedom from the terrorism India can help them to crush terrorism in their country. Addressing a BJP rally in Bengaluru on Friday Singh asserted that India was not against people of Pakistan but against terrorists and terrorism.
He said “we are not against the people of Pakistan, we are against their terrorists. Pakistan is our neighbour. We did everything to extend our hand of friendship with them. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharrif was invited for the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi. We extended our hand of friendship and they took undue advantage of us.”
“if the Pakistani Government is serious about eradicating terrorism and they are finding it tough, then India would extend all help” he added. Speaking about the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces across the line of Control on September 29, Singh said that the world knows today that we are a strong nation. “Terrorists from Pakistan entered India and killed 18 of our soldiers. The people said that this Government is quiet and does nothing. Did all of you see what our soldiers didIJ India is no longer a weak country and we have today sent out a message to the entire world that we are strong” he said.
BJP in Karnataka is looking at 2018 Assembly polls and began its process of consolidation to snatch power from the Congress which is struggling with internal and external rebellion.
Rajnath Singh addressed this first rally in Bengaluru ahead of elections where retired IAS officer K Shivram into the party. Shivaram a Dalit leader is expected to help BJP in dalit consolidation in the ensuing Assembly polls.
This strategic move comes after inducting Ramesh Jigjinagi a powerful Dalit leader into Union Cabinet is expected to help the saffron party. For Shivram this is not the first tryst with politics. Hailing from the Chalasani (SC) community he had fought an unsuccessful election on a JD(S) ticket from the Vijayapura constituency. He was also part of the campaign for G Parameshwar of the Congress. In the last elections he had led a campaign for a Dalit Chief Minister which became a major problem for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.