BJP protesters stopped en route to Defence Minister's home

New Delhi: The BJP took its attack on the government over the death of five Indian soldiers near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to the streets this evening, with about 500 of its youth wing members gathering outside Defence Minister AK Antony's house in Delhi, chanting slogans.

The protesters rushed barricades put up outside the minister's house on Krishna Menon Marg, pushing and jostling as they waved BJP flags and banners. Some tried to climb the barricades and were pushed back by policemen, who also used water cannons on them. Some protestors were detained, police said.

In Parliament, senior BJP leaders ripped apart the government after Mr Antony made a short statement on Monday night's incident. He said, "The ambush was carried out by approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms."

That remark, said the BJP's Arun Jaitley, let Pakistan off the hook. "When the minister says something so ambiguous like 'people dressed in army uniforms' it gives Pakistan a route of escape," Mr Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha.

Yashwant Sinha, who had earlier demanded to know "Congress must clarify if they're with Pak or India. Why is the PM missing and where is the Leader of the House? Who is there to listen to us?" said scathingly after the minister's statement in the Lok Sabha, "There is no government of India."

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The BJP has said the government must rethink plans to resume dialogue with Pakistan. It has also asked the government to share its foreign policy strategy with Parliament and to give a "befitting reply."

The five Indian jawans were killed at about 2 am last night by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists, who crossed the Line of Control in the Poonch area of Jammu and Kashmir, 200 km from Srinagar. A sixth Indian soldier who managed to escape is being treated at a military hospital. His testimony will be crucial in determining how the others died.

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In January, relations between the countries crashed after two Indian soldiers were killed on Indian territory in Kashmir; one of them was found beheaded.