Congress says BJP's remarks over Defence Minister's statement 'libelous'

The Congress Party today launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting Defence Minister A.K. Antony over his 'terrorists in Pakistan Army uniform' remark made in Parliament, and said the opposition's statement that the latter has given a clean chit to Pakistan Army is a sort of libelous talk.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Chaudhary on Wednesday said that he was in possession of certain facts and based on that he gave the statement.

"For the BJP to talk like this, to spread insecurity in the country, to say we have given 'clean chit' to Pakistan is a sort of libelous talk," she said.

Chaudhary further said that BJP showed no sense of responsibility in making a statement like this.

"I am a daughter of a soldier and I don't think this is what soldiers need to hear. They fight and defend our nation's borders. I don't think BJP has any sense of responsibility," she said.

The BJP today sought an apology from the Defence Minister for his remark made in Parliament yesterday.

"Antony's statement is in contrast to the defence ministry's statement. We demand that the defence minister should apologise. He gave a needless clean chit to the Pakistan Army," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said in Parliament today.

"Who is the Defence Minister to give a clean chit to the Pakistani Army?" she asked.

Of the five Indian soldiers killed, four belong to the 21 Bihar Regiment and one to the Maratha Light Infantry. They were killed in an ambush by Pakistani troops. The Indian Army soldiers killed in the incident have been identified as Prem Nath Singh,Shambhu Saran Ray, Vyay Kumay Ray, Raghunandan Prasad and Pundalik Mane.

On Tuesday, Antony strongly condemned Pakistan's firing and attack on the Indian side of the LoC in the Poonch sector.

"We strongly condemn this unprovoked incident. The Government of India has lodged strong protest with the Government of Pakistan through diplomatic channels. I assure the House that our Army is fully ready to take all necessary steps to uphold the sanctity of the LoC," Antony said in a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

"The Government of India conveys its condolences to the families of the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty," he added.

Antony informed that a patrol of the Indian Army comprising of one Non Commissioned Officer and five other ranks was ambushed on our side of Line of Control in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

"In the ensuing firefight, five Indian soldiers were martyred and one soldier was injured. The ambush was carried out by approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms," he had said.