Asia

Stop Pakistan Rhetoric for Elections: Islamabad Warns India's Ruling BJP

New Delhi (Sputnik): As the two Indian states of Maharashtra and Haryana underwent legislative assembly elections on Monday recording 53% and 60% voter turnout respectively, the Pakistan foreign ministry criticised India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) anti-Pakistan tirade during polls.
Sputnik

Hitting out at India's ruling BJP party, Islamabad rejected the allegations levelled against Pakistan by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to woo voters.

"We categorically reject these allegations and threats as well as the distortion of history and facts," the Pakistan foreign ministry stated in a communiqué.

"It is a question worth pondering by all concerned whether the current BJP rulers in India have anything else to sell to the electorate other than their animus towards Pakistan," it added.

Pakistan also asked the BJP to stop using Islamabad for domestic political gains and electoral dividends during electoral campaigns. 

The statement came from Pakistan's foreign ministry over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successive attack on Pakistan during his poll speeches by slamming the latter for supporting terrorism and drug smuggling.

Prime Minister Modi recently criticised Pakistan for encouraging drug smuggling into India during a rally in Haryana. He also threatened Pakistan over the flow of river water.

"Indian farmers have the right over Indus Water River and will not flow to Pakistan now...Once I decide to do something, I always accomplish that," Modi said during a public rally on Friday ahead of the State assembly elections on Monday.

Traditionally, tense Pakistani-Indian relations dipped to a new low in February after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for sponsoring terror attacks in Kashmir claimed by terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and the death of 40 Indian soldiers. India carried out a retaliatory strike days later to destroy the group's infrastructure.

The Kashmir issue dates back to 1947 when both countries gained independence from Britain, and both claimed the region as belonging to them.

Discuss