Stop sending 'love letters' to Pakistan, Cong's swipe at PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop sending "love letters" to Pakistan which continues to sponsor terrorism against India, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala here on Saturday.

"Modi ji secretly wrote a love letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Pakistan's National Day. In the letter, Modi ji forgot to discuss the terrorists sent to India by Pakistan and its ISI," said Surjewala here at a press conference.

"When you (PM Modi) wrote a letter to Imran Khan, did you ask him to stop the terror activities, which are funded by Pakistan," he asked Prime Minister Modi.

Reminding Prime Minister Modi of his statement where he had asked the UPA government to "stop sending love letters" to Pakistan, Surjewala said: "It is now Prime Minister Modi to stop sending love letters to Pakistan." He also reminded Modi of his words--"Pakistan needs to be talked to in the language it understands."

Imran Khan on Friday took to his Twitter handle to disclose that he received Prime Minister Modi's message on Pakistan's National Day, which is celebrated to mark the Lahore Resolution on March 23 each year.

"Received message from PM Modi: I extend my greetings & best wishes to the people of Pakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that people of sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive & prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence," Khan tweeted.

Speaking on Prime Minister Modi's greetings, the government sources told ANI that this is a customary unsigned letter, which is sent to other heads of states on their National days as well. Sources further emphasised that the letter to Khan highlighted terrorism in South Asia.

Surjewala also accused Prime Minister Modi of hiding the fact from the people of the county that he had wished Imran Khan on Pakistan's National Day without a word on terrorism funded by the neighbouring country.

"Mr 56" of the Sari-Shawl-Impromptu Pak visit for Birthday-ISI invite fame diplomacy was feeling very shy yesterday. Guess? #Chowkidar hid the fact that he had wished Pak PM on Pak National Day without a word on Pak terrorism. Muscular politics soap opera for people & media only," tweeted Surjewala.

India on Friday decided to boycott Pakistan's National Day reception organised by the Pakistan High Commission in the national capital, citing invitation to separatists from Jammu and Kashmir as the reason behind the boycott.

This comes amid the escalating tension between the two nations following Pulwama terror attack orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad on February 14, which was followed by air strikes by India at Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

For long, India has been asking Pakistan to act against terrorists operating from its soil, reiterating that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand.