Venkaiah tells Pakistan not to forget 1971

NEW DELHI: NDA’s vice-presidential nominee Venkaiah Naidu delivered a stern warning to Pakistan on Sunday, telling the neighbour to remember what happened in 1971.

Naidu lashed out at Pakistan amid rising tempers between the two nations. The former minister, who is set to be India’s next vice-president on August 5, accused Pakistan of using terror as an instrument of state policy.

“Pakistan is mixing terror with religion. Terrorism unfortunately has become their state policy. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and has no religion,” Naidu said at the Kargil Parakram Parade here to mark the supreme sacrifice of soldiers in the 1999 conflict that India won.

Naidu’s comments come close on the heels of the US State Department listing Pakistan among the countries providing “safe havens to terrorists”. “Our neighbour should understand that aiding and abetting terror will not help them. They had an experience in 1971, they should remember that experience and focus on creating peace and prosperity for their people,” he said.

Since the past few months, ceasefire violations and infiltration bids have gone up, resulting in more confrontation along the LoC. This year, the Indian Army has already foiled more than 20 attempts of infiltration in J&K. Reiterating that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Naidu said not even an inch of Kashmir will be ceded to the neighbouring country. He quipped that after its Kargil “misadventure”, Pakistan is now trying “diplomatic misadventures”.

“It is time all ‘mis-adventurists’ realise that India’s development story can’t be derailed by such ‘shoot and scoot’ tactics. We are too strong to get irritated and lose our focus,” he said.