New Delhi, August 6
Defence Minister AK Antony’s statements in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha today that the attack in Poonch was carried out by “terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniform” sparked a controversy and drew flak from political parties.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said Pakistan was not entitled to the benefit of doubt as it continued to remain in a state of denial. He wondered why the government was providing an “escape route” to Islamabad by stating that the ambush was carried out by terrorist along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms.

The Lok Sabha saw three adjournments on the issue with the Opposition demanding a structured debate on the consequences of repeated incursions by Pakistan along the LoC. Bitter clashes marked interventions in Zero Hour where BJP’s Yashwant Sinha slammed the Congress for deliberately preventing him from raising a “sensitive national security issue”.

Later, addressing a press conference, Sinha said India must not hold talks with Pakistan at any level until Islamabad abided by its commitment not to allow its territory to be used for anti-India activities. He also opposed any meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly next month.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh, who had moved a motion for the adjournment of Question Hour, raised the same matter. He spoke of the Chinese threat, cautioning Sonia against trusting the Dragon and recalling, “Pt Nehru could not bear the betrayal by China and died”. He demanded that the PM should make a statement on continued Pakistan and Chinese incursions on the border.

Defence Minister AK Antony later said that India’s armed forces would not be found wanting if provocative acts continued from across the border. “Our response to Pakistan will depend on the signals coming from that country...the way they address our concerns with regard to the Mumbai attack and the infiltration from across the border,” he said.