Reiterating rhetoric does not amount to action: Congress on Swaraj's UN speech

Expressing displeasure to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday said it is known fact that Pakistan is an exporter of terrorism, however, it remains unknown what will be Centre's action to change its neighbor's behaviour.

Tewari further stated that merely reiterating rhetoric does not amount to action and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's capability to understand the nation's mood.

"The world has known for the last 25 years now that Pak is a neat exporter of terror, what is unknown what the NDA government is going to do to change Pakistan's behaviour that is the unknown and that is what the country wants to know from the Prime Minister and his External Affairs Minister. Merely by regurgitating rhetoric and thinking that it can substitute for policy and action possibly, either the PM does not understand the national mood or PM doesn't want to understand the national mood or PM is incapable of understanding the national mood or PM is simply is constrained in its action," Tewari told ANI.

Criticising Pakistan's nefarious design on Jammu and Kashmir, Swaraj told Islamabad to abandon its dream of separating any part of India, saying "Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain so."

Rebutting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statements, made five days earlier, at the UNGA, where he accused India of "committing brutalities in the Kashmir Valley" and hailed Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists Burhan Wani as "young leader", Swaraj said "On 21st September, the Prime Minister of Pakistan used this podium to make baseless allegations about human rights violations in my country. I can only say that 'jinke apne ghar shishe ke ho, unhe dusro par patthar nahi fekne chahiye. (those whose houses are made of glass should not throw stones at others). Those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan. The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression."

Calling upon the international community to acknowledge that terrorism is undoubtedly the biggest violation of human rights, Swaraj added, "It targets the innocent and kills indiscriminately. Terrorism has gone way beyond affecting individuals or nations - it is a crime against humanity itself. But it is important to ask - who is behind this and who benefits from it? Terrorists do not own banks or weapons factories, so let us ask the real question: who finances these terrorists, who arms them and provides sanctuaries? We heard similar questions being asked by Afghanistan from this podium.