'Problems' from Pak in improving ties with India: Rajnath

Says exercise to improve relationship with neighbouring countries started from the day PM Modi and we took oath

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said problems created by Pakistan were coming in the way of improving bilateral relations though India has been asserting that "our hearts should meet".

The Home Minister said it was an irony that from time to time Pakistan created problems. "I am not levelling a direct allegation, but may be in a bid to distract attention of its people from internal problems, some other persons are doing such acts (terror)," he said.

"But the problems persist," he said during felicitation function of senior citizens on the occasion of 75th birth anniversary of veteran leader D P Bora here.

"Our senior leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say that we should accept the reality that friends change in life, but not the neighbours, and we should maintain good ties with them," Singh said.

"I want to assure you that the exercise to improve relationship with neighbouring countries started from the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we took oath," he said.

Modi's oath-taking ceremony was an example in which heads of all the neighbouring countries were invited, he said.

"We not only extended hand of friendship, but we intended that our hearts should meet," Singh said.

Singh said that after taking charge of Home Ministry, one day DG BSF telephoned him to inform that Pakistani Rangers had killed five Indian citizens.

"I asked him what our forces have done. He replied that we waved white flags, which meant we want to hold talks and have a flag meeting. It was extreme limit of tolerance," he said.

Singh said, "It was not acceptable to us that Pakistan kills our innocent citizen and we remain mum. At that time, I told him to take people to safe place and first bullet should not be fired from our side.

"But a befitting reply should be given if firing takes place from the other side."

"After that, what happened you all know. Pakistan has to take shelter of the United Nations. Our army or para-military forces are securing the boundaries with alertness," he said.