Want good ties with Pak but certain groups there need to be

India today said it wants "good relations" with Pakistan but issued a stern warning to certain groups based there, saying they need to be "taught lesson" and that pain should be inflicted on those who have "inflicted pain on us", citing example of the Myanmar operation.
The government told Lok Sabha that India's wish to have good relations with Pakistan cannot be at the cost of its "pride, dignity and self-respect" and that it will ensure that "our enemies" cannot go scot-free as even small incidents of terrorism have to be "treated as war".
Government also targeted Congress in a veiled manner as it raked up issues related to Ishrat Jahan case and the controversial Technical Services Division (TSD) set up by former Army Chief Gen V K Singh, alleging politicisation in these.

"We are in the process definitely to ensure that our enemies cannot go scot-free," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, adding "the compromise made earlier was probably one of the reasons as to why we are suffering today."
He noted that there are certain organisations across the border in Pakistan which are making statements and they "should be taught lessons".
"If you inflict pain on India, we will inflict pain on those individuals and organizations who have inflicted pain on us. I think this has to be carried out," he said while responding to a discussion on Pathankot terror attack.

He cited the example of the operation carried out by army against Myanmar-based insurgents after Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush in Manipur.

"When armymen of 6 Dogra were killed in North-East, the Indian government used its forces and ensured that those who inflicted pain were taken to task," the Defence Minister said.
"Today, probably that is one of the reasons why North-East is - of course, the Accord that was signed also played its role - comparatively much more peaceful," he said, but added that "I am not saying that it is entirely peaceful."
In his reply, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said India wants good relations with all neighbours but not at the cost of self-respect.
"We want good relations with all our neighbours. We want good relations with Pakistan too, but not at the cost of this country's pride, dignity and self-respect," he said.

Parrikar and Singh were responding to a debate during which the government came in for a scathing attack over handling of the Pathankot attack, with the opposition dubbing as a "critical mistake" the decision to handover the operation to NSG.
The opposition also questioned as to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore stopover had achieved, noting that the terror strike had happened just a few days after that.