'Baseless propaganda': MEA rejects Pakistan’s ‘India behind Lahore blast’ claim

Giving a piece of advice to Pakistan, the MEA said that Islamabad should focus on setting its house in order first and take credible action against terrorism.

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government on Thursday strongly dismissed Pakistan’s claim that New Delhi was behind the recent blast near Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and terrorist Hafiz Saeed's residence in Lahore.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strongly worded statement in which it called Pakistan's claim “baseless propaganda.”

“It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India,'' the MEA said while reacting to the claim that ''India was behind the blast near Hafiz Saeed's home in Lahore.''

It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India. Pakistan would do well to expend the same effort in setting its house in order & taking credible action against terrorism: MEA Spokesperson on 'Pakistan NSA blamed India for Lahore bomb blast' pic.twitter.com/FjhGvfmJ3J

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2021

The MEA statement further said that the global community is well aware of Pakistan's credentials when it comes to terrorism. “This is acknowledged by none other than its own leadership which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama bin Laden as martyrs,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a press briefing. 

Giving a piece of advice to Pakistan, the MEA spokesperson said that Islamabad should focus on setting its house in order first and take credible action against terrorism.

The strong reactions from the MEA came in response to Pakistan’s recent claim that India was behind the Lahore blast. Last week, a powerful blast took place near terrorist Hafiz Saeed's home in which three people were killed and 24 others, including a police constable, were injured. 

Following the blast, a car mechanic was taken into custody over his suspected involvement in the blast. Sources said intelligence agencies arrested the technician for modifying the interiors of the car that was used in the blast. Hafiz Saeed's residence remained safe, but many other houses and shops falling within a 100 square feet radius of the blast site were damaged.

Later on Sunday, Pakistan's National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf alleged that India's RAW was behind the blast outside the house of Hafiz Saeed in Lahore.

Saeed is the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and chief of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD).