New Delhi: Sarabjit Singh`s death after the brutal attack in a Pakistani jail led to a political slugfest here with BJP blaming "weak" foreign policy and "diplomatic failure" of UPA,a charge dismissed as politically motivated by Congress which accused opposition of shedding crocodile tears.
Condemning the incident, BJP President Rajnath Singh said, "...Congress-led UPA government has tarnished the image of India at the international fora and has sent the message that India is a weak nation.
"It has given rise to the perception in the world that whatever activities take place against India, it will not even react to them."
Rebutting the charge as "completely unfounded and politically motivated", Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said that the BJP and the NDA have "no right to make these charges" as they did not raise Sarabjit`s issue even once when they were in power at the centre.
He said that though he is of the firm belief that the issues of foreign affairs should not be seen from UPA versus NDA perspective, he is compelled to make the point as BJP was levelling allegations.
"The NDA government could not ensure even consular success to Sarabjeet," he said.
Dikshit added that while the NDA government never mentioned it even once during the meetings with Pakistan leadership when they were in power, it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who for the first time took up the issue in a meeting with the Pakistani leadership in New York.
Union Minister Manish Tewary also hit back at the opposition party saying it was seeking to politicise even something as tragic as the death of an Indian citizen who has been brutally murdered.
"I would like to respectfully ask the BJP what they did when they were in power. They are shedding crocodile tears now, but did not even lift a single little finger to even provide consular access to Sarabjit," he said. Sarabjit was in Pakistani prison for 22 years.
PTI
