Rajnath Singh told by JD(U): Nothing will happen with verbal warnings

Centre faces criticism from opposition for not retaliating strongly against Pak after the tragic Pampore attack

Pic courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: The Janata Dal(United) on Monday downplayed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh`s caveat to Pakistan in wake of the terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir`s Pampore in which eight jawans were martyred, saying "nothing will happen with verbal warnings".

"What will happen with verbal warnings? What is happening is that people from our country are being killed. There is a major lapse in our diplomacy and our foreign policy that such things are taking place," JD (U) leader Ali Anwar told ANI.

Coming out all guns blazing on Pakistan in wake of the Pampore attack, Singh on Sunday said India won`t keep an account of the bullets if there is firing from the other side of the border.

Addressing a rally in Ranchi, Singh assured the nation that the present dispensation will defeat terrorism.

"We will defeat it and emerge victorious. It is true that the behaviour of our neighbouring nation is not up to the mark. We won`t fire first, but if Pakistan fires then we won`t keep an account of our bullets," he added.

Lauding the CRPF personnel for displaying heroic efforts in battling with the terrorists, Singh said, "There is no doubt in the fact that our CRPF personnel fought with bravery. The terrorists ambushed the bus in which the CRPF personnel were travelling. But our brave security personnel killed the two terrorists."

"At the same time, we are deeply pained by the loss of our eight CRPF men, who got martyred during the attack," he added.

After Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for Saturday`s attack on a CRPF convoy in Pampore town of Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister earlier in the day said that the Centre would be sending a two-member committee to find out the loopholes which led to the untoward incident.

"All our security forces are fighting very bravely and efficiently and in this small span of time the numbers of terrorists they have gunned down is highly commendable," he added.

Saturday`s attack was the fourth one on the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this month.

At least 17 security personnel were killed and several others injured in the last three major strikes along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway during the period.

Officials say infiltration has dramatically gone up compared to the previous year with more than 50 terrorists crossing the border in the last five months.

Last year, there was zero infiltration in the first four months.