If terrorists try to disrupt peace or attempt to carry out terror activities in the country, India will give them a “muh tod jawab” (befitting reply) and hunt them down even in Pakistan, defence minister Rajnath Singh asserted on Friday, voicing the government’s resolve to hunt down terrorists even on foreign soil.
“If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan to kill them,” he said in an interview to news channel News18.
He said there was no question of sparing terrorists.
The minister was responding to a question on a controversial report published in the Guardian newspaper that claimed that the Indian government assassinated individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil, citing Indian and Pakistani intelligence operatives.
The fresh claims, the Guardian reported, relate to almost 20 killings since 2020, carried out by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. While India has previously been unofficially linked to the deaths, this is the first time Indian intelligence personnel have discussed the alleged operations in Pakistan, and detailed documentation has been seen alleging RAW’s direct involvement in the assassinations, it further said.
Pressed further and asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that “this is not the Bharat that will be a mute spectator and will enter your territory to kill the terrorists”, Singh said, “Whatever the Prime Minister has said is true. And this is the strength of India. And Pakistan has also started understanding this.”
{{/usCountry}}Pressed further and asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that “this is not the Bharat that will be a mute spectator and will enter your territory to kill the terrorists”, Singh said, “Whatever the Prime Minister has said is true. And this is the strength of India. And Pakistan has also started understanding this.”
{{/usCountry}}But India always wants to maintain good relations with its neighboring countries, Singh stressed.
“Whatever it is, it is our neighbouring country. Look at the history. To date, we have neither attacked anyone in the world nor have we taken any initiative to attack anyone...This has been the nature of India. But if anyone shows India angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them.”
According to the Guardian report, Pakistan intelligence sources claimed that targeted assassinations in that country increased significantly in 2023, accusing India of involvement in the suspected deaths of about 15 people, most of whom were shot at close range by unknown gunmen.
Responding to a question on Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Singh said, “It was a part of India, is a part of India and will remain so...The people of PoK will say that they want to go with India.”
Asked if it will be a priority for the NDA government in its likely third term, the minister said, “I told you, the people of PoK will themselves demand that they should be made to live in India, they cannot live away from our country and you must have seen that one or two protests took place there and those people want to merge with India. After the abolition of Article 370, the situation in Kashmir has become normal and the pace of development has also increased.”