Congress, BJP spar over approach to national security

The government and the Opposition engaged in a verbal war over the Centre’s approach towards cross-border terrorism.

While the Centre maintained that it was committed to protecting national security, the Congress said the BJP’s history is of compromise with terrorism.

‘Pak links evident’ Home Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament on the Gurdaspur attack and said terrorists had a link to Pakistan. Amid protests by Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha, he said terrorists had sneaked in “possibly because of the difficult terrain coupled with recent heavy rains, resulting in excess flow in the rivers and canals along the border.

Singh said the government would do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism.

Attacking the Congress, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Opposition party was playing petty politics over the incident. Urging the Congress to react in a responsible manner, he said: “At least they should have spoken in one voice on an issue like national security.”

He urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain how its leaders have come out with contrarian statements on Yakub Memon’s hanging.

The Congress retorted citing the release of terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar in Kandhahar by the previous NDA Government.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said instead of delivering sermons, the government should work on brining back key perpetrators of Mumbai blasts.