The BJP has named Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu as the candidate for Vice President's post.
Highlights
- M Venkaiah Naidu is NDA's vice-presidential candidate
- He said Pakistan should remember "Kashmir is integral part of India"
- Recently Pak was listed by US as "safe havens to terrorists"
M Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA's vice-presidential candidate, today issued a strong warning to Pakistan, saying their abetment of terror will not help and they "should recall what happened in 1971". The neighbouring country was listed among the regions providing "safe havens to terrorists" by the US this week. The list mentioned that terror groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e Taiba continued to operate, train and raise funds from Pakistan through the last year.
"Our neighbour is restless... (it) doesn't allow other nations to rest but they should understand that we are united. People from Kashmir to Kanyakumari are united. We are united to fight back," said Mr Naidu.
The reference was to the war of 1971, during which India had given a fitting response to Pakistani hostilities. The 13-day war had ended with the liberation of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh.
The Union minister in charge of information and broadcasting had stepped down last week after being chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate by the BJP, which leads the government at the Centre.
Days ahead of the elections, slated for August 5, Mr Naidu was speaking at the Kargil Parakram Parade, arranged in Delhi every year in the memory of Kargil martyrs. The 1999 conflict had also led to humiliation of Pakistan when their forces had infiltrated into Indian positions in some of the forward posts of Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district.
Pakistan should remember that "Kashmir is integral part of India", Mr Naidu said today. India won't allow anyone to take "even an inch of Kashmir". India, he added, was a "peace-loving non-violent" country. "We want to have good relations with our neighbours, but they should also reciprocate... Our neighbour should understand that aiding and abetting terror will not help them... they should recall what happened in 1971," he added.