Pathankot attack: Will give Pakistan 'tit for tat' warns Gadkari

Pakistan would be given a befitting reply if it does not stop sending terrorists across, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said adding that India’s initiative for friendship should not be construed as its weakness.

Addressing a public function, Gadkari said in an apparent reference to the Pathankot terror strike that Pakistan was waging a “proxy” war against India.

“You know yesterday’s incident. Terrorists are coming to India continuously. Pakistan knows very well that it cannot defeat us in open war. Pakistan wants to provoke and bring India on the brink of war by killing innocent people and by making Hindus fight against Muslims with the help of terrorists. They are doing a proxy war.

“We want to forge friendship with Pakistan. But this does not mean that we are weak. If Pakistan will carry out such incidents in India with the help of terror then we will give them a befitting reply. (‘Hum eet ka jawab patthar se denge’),” he said.

Taking a dig at some political parties for accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of “playing communal politics”, the road transport and highways minister said the National Democratic Alliance government was committed to the welfare of all sections of society.

“There are some anti-national elements roaming in Hyderabad. They do not want our country to grow. They do not want poverty to be eradicated,” he said, without taking any names.

Taking a swipe at Congress, Gadkari said people of the country became poorer during its misrule of 60 years.

Gadkari said some political sections are trying to malign the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP by portraying them as “anti-Muslims”.

“Some people do not want us to work for the benefit of people. They try to spread hatred and fear among Muslims. They try to create an impression that the BJP and Modi are against them. They say that they (Modi and BJP) will send you (Muslims) to Pakistan, if you don’t vote for them. These people do vote bank politics,” he alleged.

Gadkari said Modi was trying to give a facelift to the country’s image in the world.

The senior BJP leader further said the NDA government will work in coordination with all state governments cutting across political affiliations.

He also appealed to people to vote for the Telugu Desam Party-BJP combine in the upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.