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In statement, Foreign Office says such rhetoric is often utilized by the BJP whenever it is facing elections in key Indian states
Pakistan on Monday “strongly” condemned Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s “unwarranted, gratuitous and provocative comments,” stressing the “unfounded allegations” misrepresented history and were akin to revisionism and delusional thinking.
On Dec. 12, addressing an even in New Delhi, Singh had claimed that the 1971 war had proven that “India’s partition on religious lines was a historic mistake and that Pakistan has ever since continued to engage in a proxy war against India.” He alleged that Pakistan wanted to damage India through terrorism and “anti-India activities,” adding that Indian forces had foiled those “plans” in 1971 and was now seeking to eliminate the roots of terrorism. “We have won in the direct war, and will achieve victory in the proxy war as well,” he added.
In its rejoinder, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the Indian official’s comments questioned “established historical facts” and levelled “unfounded allegations in the context of terrorism” while “hurling threats against Pakistan.” It emphasized that it was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s “special forte to misrepresent history, resort to revisionism and delusional thinking and indulge in false bravado.” Such statements, it claimed, often emerged whenever key Indian states were set to vote.
“The timing of the Indian defense minister’s provocative rhetoric is, therefore, not surprising as the BJP-RSS combine is desperate to win elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states, typically inciting hyper nationalism and seeking to advance the extremist ‘Hindutva’ agenda,” it said. “The Indian defense minister’s chest-thumping and war-mongering is nothing but further evidence of India’s irresponsible behavior and its relentless belligerence towards Pakistan,” it added.
Referring to Singh’s references to Pak-sponsored terrorism, the Foreign Office noted that “the international community is well aware of how the Hindutva-inspired regime in India is carrying out state terrorism against Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).” It recalled that in November 2020, Islamabad had submitted a comprehensive dossier to the international community that had provided irrefutable evidence of the Indian government’s role in terrorist activities in Pakistan.
“The world is aware that Pakistan is fully capable of thwarting India’s aggressive designs. We have demonstrated our resolve and capability in this regard, including in the recent past,” read the statement. “The BJP leaders will be well-advised to desist from any ill-conceived misadventure and also stop dragging Pakistan in India’s domestic politics for electoral gains,” it added.