Modi government weakened fight against terrorism: Congress

Notwithstanding the denial by the NIA chief that he made any statement giving a clean chit to Pakistan on the Pathankot airbase attack, the Congress on Friday accused the government of deliberating weakening the war against terrorism by such remarks.

The opposition party also accused National Investigating Agency (NIA) chief Sharad Kumar of making a "preposturous statement" vis-a-vis Pakistan.

"The latest government statement giving a clean chit to Pakistan establishment, its Inter-Services Intelligence and military for the Pathankot terror attack has deliberately weakened the fight against terror that India has waged both nationally and internationally for many decades now," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

According to a TV channel, Sharad Kumar gave a clean chit to the Pakistan government but later denied making any such statement.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday asserted that the "involvement of Pakistan's nationals in the Pathankot air base attack is an accepted fact".

The government said "enough information" on the involvement of Pakistanis has been provided to Islamabad.

"Pakistan has sponsored terrorism and terror activities against India for decades now. This is a fact that is well known in the international community and various governments, including the previous one led by the Congress, have placed plausible evidence on record, shared with Pakistan and at various international fora multiple times," said Surjewala.

The Congress leader said: "Post 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the international pressure put (on Pakistan) at India's instance now stands weakened by the successive statements made by the Modi Government and BJP - first Modi ji went on an impromptu visit to Pakistan to attend the birthday and marriage celebrations (in Nawaz Sharif's family) -- and the net consequence was the loss of seven lives of our army jawans and attack on the Pathankot airbase."

"Modi ji then committed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Pakistanis led by the infamous ISI to visit India, including the airbase. Despite caution from the Congress and other opposition parties as also security experts from time to time, the same JIT went back to Pakistan and instead of punishing the JeM accused India and the Indian government," Surjewala said.

"Having not learnt its lessons, now NIA chief Sharad Kumar has made a preposterous statement and claim that the Pakistan government or military establishment or ISI was not responsible in any way or involved with Jaish-e-Mohammad or Maulana Masood Azhar in the Pathankot terror attack," he added.

--IANS

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