The BJP on Thursday hardened its stand on the killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan, with senior party leader and Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj demanding that the “weak” government take tough action. “The government has to act, and the government has to act tough,” Swaraj tweeted on Thursday. “It is a matter of honour for the country. It is a question of the morale of our armed forces. Unfortunately, we have a very weak government, and weak governments are incapable of taking tough action.”

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told the media that the BJP will organise protests in each district of the country on Friday to protest the “brutal” and “barbaric” way in which Pakistani troops dealt with the Indian soldiers. “It is essentially to show the anger and anguish of the Indian people. Our attempt to keep peace doesn’t mean that these violations can happen. We won’t tolerate such barbaric attacks on Indian troops,” Sitharaman said.

The Congress, however, refused to be taken in. “It is wrong to say we are a soft state. History is witness that we have always taught a lesson to our enemies. We hope that Pakistan will take a lesson from this,” Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said.