Manish Tewari said Pakistan uses terror groups to wage a proxy war (File)
New Delhi:
Congress leader Manish Tewari has asked Pakistan not to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi but their own policy of using terror groups for a proxy war against India as the reason behind souring of ties between the two nations.
"The infliction point in India Pakistan relations was 26/11. After 2008, irrespective of the fact that whether there was a UPA government, or that was succeeded by a BJP-led NDA government, the relationship with Pakistan has been in a deep freeze," he said at an event organised by the South Asia Centre of the Atlantic Council yesterday.
"There is a very widespread feeling among the people of India, not limited to the government, that actions against the perpetrators of 26/11 is a pre-requisite for forward movement between India and Pakistan," he said.
Mr Tewari said at a time when PM Modi spontaneously decided to land in Lahore to attend Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding, the move was followed by the Pathankot airbase attack in India.
"And post, the attack on Pathankot airbase, when India invited the joint investigating team from Pakistan, which consisted of people from across the agencies and gave them access to actually have a look at the evidence which pointed to the fact that this was an attack which was sponsored from across the border.
"Rather than taking that evidence on board, you saw a knee-jerk reaction saying that this was a false flag operation and the Indians have done it themselves," he said.
"So, it's very easy to blame Modi or the right-wing approach, which they as a government have, but in reality, the infliction point between India and Pakistan is 26/11," Mr Tewari said while responding to senior Pakistani leader Mushahid Hussian's remarks that PM Modi's policies have resulted in worsening relationship between India and Pakistan.
Responding to a question on China, Mr Hussian said India is currently isolated in the region on the issue of One Belt One Road or OBOR initiative of China. "Some people want India to play the role of a counterweight to China to short play the China card, to some people in America, Japan may want that. Others would like that India should be part of the mainstream, which is the Asian century. Pakistan is part of that - OBOR," he said.
"The infliction point in India Pakistan relations was 26/11. After 2008, irrespective of the fact that whether there was a UPA government, or that was succeeded by a BJP-led NDA government, the relationship with Pakistan has been in a deep freeze," he said at an event organised by the South Asia Centre of the Atlantic Council yesterday.
"There is a very widespread feeling among the people of India, not limited to the government, that actions against the perpetrators of 26/11 is a pre-requisite for forward movement between India and Pakistan," he said.
Mr Tewari said at a time when PM Modi spontaneously decided to land in Lahore to attend Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding, the move was followed by the Pathankot airbase attack in India.
"And post, the attack on Pathankot airbase, when India invited the joint investigating team from Pakistan, which consisted of people from across the agencies and gave them access to actually have a look at the evidence which pointed to the fact that this was an attack which was sponsored from across the border.
"Rather than taking that evidence on board, you saw a knee-jerk reaction saying that this was a false flag operation and the Indians have done it themselves," he said.
"So, it's very easy to blame Modi or the right-wing approach, which they as a government have, but in reality, the infliction point between India and Pakistan is 26/11," Mr Tewari said while responding to senior Pakistani leader Mushahid Hussian's remarks that PM Modi's policies have resulted in worsening relationship between India and Pakistan.
Responding to a question on China, Mr Hussian said India is currently isolated in the region on the issue of One Belt One Road or OBOR initiative of China. "Some people want India to play the role of a counterweight to China to short play the China card, to some people in America, Japan may want that. Others would like that India should be part of the mainstream, which is the Asian century. Pakistan is part of that - OBOR," he said.
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