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BJP fury over Antony statement on soldiers killing
By: Tupaki Desk | 7 Aug 2013 10:24 AM GMTThe BJP attacked the government Wednesday over Defence Minister A.K. Antony's failure to blame the Pakistani army for the killing of five soldiers in Kashmir, and asked New Delhi not to have talks with Islamabad.
Bharatiya Janata Party members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were furious that Antony blamed "terrorists" and people "in military uniform" for the early Tuesday ambush while an earlier army statement put the blame on the Pakistan Army.
Antony Tuesday told parliament that "20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons in Pakistan Army uniform" were responsible for the killings near the Line of Control (LoC), which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
But an earlier defence ministry statement -- which was withdrawn later -- stated that a Pakistan Border Action team was to blame for the ambush that killed a Non-Commissioned Officer and four soldiers.
Launching the attack, BJP leader L.K. Advani said there was no justification for having talks with Pakistan if Islamabad was involved in the incident.
He said there was a need for the defence minister to tell the truth.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, asked Antony to clarify the killings further.
As the defence minister was not present in the Lok Sabha, she asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was present, to make a statement.
Sushma Swaraj also questioned the government over the differences in the statements from Antony and the defence ministry. "This is a grave issue."
Her colleague M. Venkaiah Naidu asked if the Antony statement was linked to a possible meeting between Manmohan Singh and his newly-elected Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September.
Speaking to reporters, BJP's Yashwant Sinha, a former foreign minister, described Antony's statement as "laughable".
"It seems as if he (Antony) is on the Pakistan Army's side. It was a most laughable statement as the army has clearly stated that Pakistani soldiers were involved and as the army is on the ground they know better than what the prime minister and defence minister know."
Sinha said he had sent a privilege motion on the issue to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
Speaking to TimesNow news channel, Advani said both the statements by Antony and the defence ministry were official statements and that's why the BJP has raised the "issue of contradiction".
"Obviously what the minister has said exonerates the Pakistan government from responsibility for the death of these soldiers whereas the defence ministry has acknowledged that it was a Pakistan Border Action Team which has been guilty.
"If the Pakistan government has done what they have done, then there is no justification for having talks with them," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were furious that Antony blamed "terrorists" and people "in military uniform" for the early Tuesday ambush while an earlier army statement put the blame on the Pakistan Army.
Antony Tuesday told parliament that "20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons in Pakistan Army uniform" were responsible for the killings near the Line of Control (LoC), which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
But an earlier defence ministry statement -- which was withdrawn later -- stated that a Pakistan Border Action team was to blame for the ambush that killed a Non-Commissioned Officer and four soldiers.
Launching the attack, BJP leader L.K. Advani said there was no justification for having talks with Pakistan if Islamabad was involved in the incident.
He said there was a need for the defence minister to tell the truth.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, asked Antony to clarify the killings further.
As the defence minister was not present in the Lok Sabha, she asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was present, to make a statement.
Sushma Swaraj also questioned the government over the differences in the statements from Antony and the defence ministry. "This is a grave issue."
Her colleague M. Venkaiah Naidu asked if the Antony statement was linked to a possible meeting between Manmohan Singh and his newly-elected Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September.
Speaking to reporters, BJP's Yashwant Sinha, a former foreign minister, described Antony's statement as "laughable".
"It seems as if he (Antony) is on the Pakistan Army's side. It was a most laughable statement as the army has clearly stated that Pakistani soldiers were involved and as the army is on the ground they know better than what the prime minister and defence minister know."
Sinha said he had sent a privilege motion on the issue to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
Speaking to TimesNow news channel, Advani said both the statements by Antony and the defence ministry were official statements and that's why the BJP has raised the "issue of contradiction".
"Obviously what the minister has said exonerates the Pakistan government from responsibility for the death of these soldiers whereas the defence ministry has acknowledged that it was a Pakistan Border Action Team which has been guilty.
"If the Pakistan government has done what they have done, then there is no justification for having talks with them," he added.
