Parliament applauds Rajnath Singh for tough stand in Pakistan

Pakistan has been categorically told that one country’s terrorist cannot be another country’s martyr. Making a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on Friday on his Pakistan visit, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that he urged the members not to glorify terrorism or give patronage to it. 

“They should not make the mistake of distinguishing between good terrorism and bad terrorism,” he said. “It is necessary to take all effective steps against states or non-state actors encouraging or supporting terrorism.”

To ensure that terrorism is not encouraged, it was necessary that stringent action is not just initiated against terrorists but also against persons, organisations, institutions and states supporting them, Singh said. The Home Minister visited Islamabad on Thursday to attend 7th SAARC Home 

Ministers meeting.   

Responding to questions in Rajya Sabha after making a suo motu statement on Thursday’s conference, the Minister also said that after the meeting was over, Pakistan’s Home Minister, who was the host, invited the participants for lunch but left in a car soon thereafter. Several members appreciated Singh for “boycotting” the lunch and criticised Pakistan for not showing due courtesy to the visiting Indian Home Minister.

To queries whether there was no telecast of his speech, Singh said he was not aware of the convention and would need to ask the Ministry of External Affairs regarding it. 

Pakistani authorities did not allow entry of Indian mediapersons, including those from PTI and Doordarshan, inside the venue of 7th SAARC Home Ministers Meeting in Islamabad.

Earlier Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, seeking clarification on Singh’s statement, said his Congress party and ruling BJP may have differences, but when the Prime Minister or the Home Minister travel abroad, they are one.