Pathakot attack: 'Whenever BJP comes to power, terror attacks increase'

New Delhi: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government of not being able to manage relations with Pakistan in a proper manner, the Congress party on Wednesday said that terrorist activities in the country had risen whenever BJP came to power at the Centre.

"In 1999, when the Indian Airlines plane was hijacked, we had released terrorists from our jails. Masood Azhar was one of them. This has emboldened the terrorist organisations like JeM, they now think that India is weak," former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said at a press conference here.

"Several incidents took place after that, whether it is the Red Fort, attack on J-K assembly or attack on Parliament. Whenever the BJP comes to power the terror activities increase," he added.

Shinde also pointed out that the government had failed to handle Pathankot attack in swift and effective manner.

"When they had intelligence inputs beforehand, they should have cordoned off the airbase," he said.

He also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scathing remarks against the UPA government during the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack, saying that the Congress had refrained from making such statements.

Slamming the Prime Minister for making an unscheduled visit to Pakistan to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif, Shinde said, "He abruptly visited Pakistan. Held talks there but never told the nation about the discussions he had."

He welcomed good relations with Pakistan but said that it should come at the cost of India's security.

"We can be friends with Pakistan, but we will not tolerate any terrorist attacks," he said.

He also lauded the valiant efforts of the security forces while defending the Pathankot Airbase.

However, the BJP earlier today accused the Congress of politicizing the Pathankot airbase attack and said that the NDA Government had inherited terrorism problems from the grand old party's five decade long regime.

"The Congress has ruled this country for over five decades. The Congress party and their government, from which we inherited the problem of terror, today are criticising the government and politicizing terror. Does the Congress party have national interest in mind at all? Do they have any policy at all?" BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI.

Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is questioning Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma and the cook in connection with the Pathankot terror attack case.

The NIA has registered three cases in the probe and a 20 member team is stationed in Pathankot.