ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday expressed concern about the “safety and security of India’s nuclear arsenal”, following a statement by India’s defence minister, which, analysts said, introduced a level of ambiguity in New Delhi’s core national security doctrine.
In a series of tweets, the premier said that the fact that India’s nuclear weapons are in the control of “the fascist, racist Hindu Supremacist Modi government”, is an “issue that impacts not just the region but the world”.
Prime Minister Imran’s statement comes two days after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared that while New Delhi had stuck to its commitment of ‘no first use’, future policy will depend upon the situation.
The prime minister once again directed the world’s attention to the lockdown imposed in parts of occupied Kashmir by the Indian government, which entered its 14th day, saying that the matter “should have sent alarm bells ringing across the world with the UN observers being sent there”.
“India has been captured, as Germany had been captured by Nazis, by a fascist, racist Hindu supremacist ideology and leadership. This threatens nine million Kashmiris under siege in IOK for over two weeks which should have sent alarm bells ringing across the world with UN Observers being sent there,” he tweeted.
He further said that the Indian government’s “doctrine of hate and genocide, with RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) goons on the rampage” not only threatens minorities in India, but also Pakistan.
“And the threat also extends to Pakistan, the minorities in India and in fact the very fabric of Nehru and Gandhi’s India. One can simply Google to understand the link between the Nazi ideology and ethnic cleansing and genocide ideology of the RSS-BJP Founding Fathers.”
“Already 4m Indian Muslims face detention camps and cancellation of citizenship. The world must take note as this genie is out of the bottle and the doctrine of hate and genocide, with RSS goons on the rampage, will spread unless the international community acts now to stop it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also criticised Rajnath Singh for his jingoistic remarks. In a statement, he said the comments were “reflective of the predicament that India finds itself in, after its illegal and unilateral actions imperilling peace and security in the region and beyond”.
“Equally condemnable is the completely indefensible lockdown of the entire population in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, that has gone on for two weeks, and continues to deepen the dire humanitarian tragedy as reported by the international human rights organisations and the international media,” the statement said further.
On Aug 5, the government of the right-wing BJP had put Kashmiri leaders under house arrest and imposed a complete communications blackout in occupied Kashmir shortly before repealing Article 370 of the Indian constitution, stripping the region of its special status.
Despite a strict curfew in the occupied region, protests and clashes between Kashmiri residents and Indian forces have taken place at least twice.
