Pak guilty of sacrilege during holy Ramzan: Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh today said Pakistan was guilty of sacrilege for killing innocent civilians during the holy month of Ramzan.

Speaking to reporters soon after his arrival here to attend the Udhampur District Development Board (DDB) meeting in his capacity as the local MP, Singh said Pakistan was indulging in the worst kind of unholy ("na-pak") activity.

He was replying to questions on Pakistani forces firing at and shelling villages on the Indian side and killing people in the holy month of Ramzan, when India had announced a ceasefire as regards anti-terror operations in Kashmir.

Singh said Pakistan, which was carved out to establish a dispensation based on the principles of the "Quran", had proved unworthy of its avowed objective.

He added that it was for the entire world to see that while, during the observance of "Roza", every practising Muslim was forbidden from causing harm to fellow human beings, there was an Islamic State that found nothing wrong in indulging in violence and killing of civilians.

The Union Minister of State at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said for every single gun-fire from the other side, there were multiple gun-fires in retaliation from the Indian side.

He added that in the last several decades, there was never such a powerful retaliatory action from the Indian side, which had resulted in heavy damage on the other side.

Giving full credit to the Indian Army and the security forces, Singh said under the current BJP-led government, the forces enjoyed the professional freedom to decide on the nature and quantum of retaliation, based on their discretion and on-the-spot assessment.

"We have some of the best forces in the world, for which we are proud and also deeply indebted," he added.

Expressing concern over the civilian casualties and damage as a result of Pakistani firing, Singh said there could be no compensation for the loss of a human life, but nevertheless, the government would try to provide the best possible assistance and relief to the victims and their families.

Later, the Union minister attended the DDB meeting, along with board Chairman and Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Rajiv Jasrotia and all the three MLAs from the district -- Pawan Gupta, Dina Nath Bhagat and RS Pathania.