Gurdaspur terrorists from Pak, Rajnath says amid Cong din

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday linked the Gurdaspur attack to Pakistan and stated, amid huge uproar by Congress members in the Rajya Sabha, that any effort by the enemies of our nation to undermine India’s territorial integrity and security of our citizens will meet forceful response from Indian security forces.

Making a statement in the Upper House on Monday’s attack in Punjab, Rajnath said the Government “has been and will remain resolute in this regard”. He made the statement amid din created by Congress members. The unruly act was strongly disapproved of by Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who said it was “not politics” but a “statement on a terrorist attack” that concerns the security of the country.

While Rajnath continued with his statement, placards carrying Congress members created chaos and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA Government. The Home Minister assured the House that “the Government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism aimed against India.” Giving details, he said the three terrorists had infiltrated from Pakistanto carry out the strike and asserted that the Government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism. 

“Preliminary analysis of GPS data indicates that the terrorists had infiltrated from Pakistan through the area near Tash in Gurdaspur district, where the Ravi river enters Pakistan,” Singh said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were present when the Home Minister made his statement. 

After the House was adjourned for the day, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley accused the Congress of being “irresponsible” for not allowing the Home Minister to make a statement in the Rajya Sabbha on the Gurdaspur terrorist attack.Soon after Rajnath’s statement, Kurien adjourned the House about 2.10 PM until Friday morning. 

Earlier, soon after the House assembled, Chairman Hamid Ansari referred to the Gurdaspur terror strike and said, “This dastardly attack is deplorable.” Members then stood in silence as mark of respect to the victims. Ansari then adjourned the House till 2 PM since the funeral of former President APJ Abdul Kalam was underway at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. 

Attacking the Congress outside Parliament, Jaitley said the Opposition party, due to its “petty” politics, presented the country as a “divided” house by not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the cross-border terror incident.Jaitley demanded Congress president Sonia Gandhi to clarify before the whole country as to why her party is not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the issue of national security, particularly in the wake of the Gurdaspur incident.“We expect Sonia Gandhi to explain why the Congress does not want a discussion in Parliament on the Gurdaspur terrorist incident. Does the party’s small and petty politics hold more importance than the country’s national securityIJ” he asked.

Asked if he was hopeful of getting the tax reform legislation, the GST Bill, passed in Parliament, the Finance Minister said, it was the Congress which had brought this law and the question should be posed to those obstructing it. “Such questions should be posed to those trying to create such obstructions that cause loss to the national economy,” he said. On Government’s strategy ahead in Parliament, he said it is for the Congress. “Parliament should be allowed to function,” Jaitley said. 

Responding to Jaitley’s charge that the Congress was being “irresponsible” by not allowing the Home Minister make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the terror attack, AICC chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said instead of delivering sermons, the Government should work on bringing back principal perpetrators of Mumbai blasts Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon and ensuring strongest of punishment to them.

“May I request the BJP Government as also their leaders to not give sermons to the Congress party or the country considering BJP’s own poor track record in dealing with terrorism... BJP’s track record has been far from good in tackling terrorism. The last time BJP was in power, its Foreign Minister led terrorists like Maulana Masood Azhar and others and left them in Kandhar, Afghanistan,” Surjewala said.

He also said that VP Singh Government, of which the BJP was a part, exchanged terrorists in lieu of Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s daughter Rubia Sayeed. He said terrorism has returned to Punjab under BJP’s rule. Meanwhile, in Islamabad Pakistan dismissed India’s assertion on Gurdaspur terrorist attack. Terming Rajnath’s statement as “baseless allegations,” Pakistan said pointing fingers without investigation is “not a healthy trend”.