Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said attack by militants on police station and army camp in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) would not derail efforts to pursue peace through dialogue.
“This is one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions by the enemies of peace,” Singh said in a statement. “Such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue.”
A group of militants dressed in Indian Army uniforms killed eight people in the raid near the border, Indian officials said.
Just a day before the attack, Singh said he would meet Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly for highly anticipated talks.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded that Singh call off his meeting with Nawaz Sharif in New York on Sunday in the wake of twin terror strikes in Indian-held Kashmir.
Condemning the attacks, BJP President Rajnath Singh alleged that Pakistan was continuing with its strategy to strike at will through proxy war of terror.
“The PM is in a hurry to start dialogue with Pakistan. There should be no talks with Pakistan unless there is a conducive environment,” Dr Singh said on a Twitter post.
“I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the police and security forces in Jammu. The terrorists have attacked India almost at will,” he added. The BJP has opposed the talks between the two prime ministers.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the prime minister had himself assured the nation through both Houses of parliament after Mumbai attack and after beheading of two soldiers that India would not hold talks with Pakistan until it takes minimal action against terror.
“But what are we seeing today that Pakistan land is being used to attack and conduct terror attacks in India,” he said.
“We condemn the twin dastardly attacks. This shows that Pakistan continues on its strategy to strike at will through this proxy war of terror,” he said.
Another BJP leader Yashwant Sinha maintained that the prime minister should not hold talks at all with Nawaz.
In a brazen attack in IHK as many as 12 people, including 10 Indian troops and police personnel, were killed in Kathua District on Thursday.
According to reports‚ the attackers entered the Indian Army camp at Hiranagar and killed at least six Indian troopers, including a lieutenant colonel and four police personnel. Two civilians were killed by Indian troops on the occasion. Over a dozen people have been injured.
Peace talks will go on despite Kashmir attack: Singh
