Parrikar's warning won't send strong message to Pak: Congress

Taking a jibe at Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's warning that any individual or organisation causing pain to India should be paid back in the same coin, the Congress Party on Monday said the language used by him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi post the Pathankot terror attack will not send a strong message to Pakistan.

"The statement made by the Defence Minister is not new. We have been saying this since many days. Even Modi Ji and his leaders are saying the same thing. There have been ceasefire violations for more than 1100 times during the NDA regime. Lots of soldiers have lost their lives in those ceasefire violations. What pain did Parrikar ji gave to the ones who took these lives?" Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad told ANI.

"The language that has been used by Parrikar and the Prime Minister post the Pathankot attack will not send a strong message to Pakistan. There should be talks between the two nations, but there should be a display of retribution in reply to their doings at the border," he added.

Speaking at the seminar to mark the 68th Army Day earlier, the Defence Minister said that history tells us that until those who inflict damage on others experience the same pain, they don't change.

"If someone is harming this country, I think that particular individual or organisation, I have purposely used the word individual or organization, should also receive similar pain. Until the pain can be transmitted, he will always enjoy giving pain to us," he said while addressing an audience, which consisted of top brass of the Army, including its chief General Dalbir Singh.

Seven military personnel were martyred and another 20 injured when six terrorists crossed the border and launched a massive attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in the early hours of January 2.