27 December 2000

IRKED BY LASHKAR THREAT, INDIA BARES FANGS

From Rakesh Sharma

NEW DELHI: Using the platform of the leading ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party, India on Wednesday threatened to review the peace process if Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba attempts to attack the Prime Minister's Office.

Significantly, India's sharp reaction to the Lashkar's threat to follow up the raid on Red Fort with an attack on the PMO comes within a day of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee blaming Pakistan-based organisations for the militant-strikes in the country and Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani stressing that the security forces had only been told not to fire the first shot but they were free to eliminate militants.

Articulating the first-ever Indian threat to review the peace process, BJP spokesman Jana Krishnamurthy said that the Lashkar threat to strike at PMO was "more a challenge to Pakistan than to India."

"If Pakistan is serious about talks, it must ensure that the prerequisite for talks, peace, is restored. Although India had declared peace through the unilateral cease-fire, it (cease-fire) cannot continue for long if Pakistan-based organisation continue violence in the country. We can tolerate pin-pricks but not serious incidents of violence."

He said it was not that India was scared of the latest threat of Lashkar. It will be frustrated by the security forces. But the threat had serious implications and both Pakistan and the world should take note  of it."

The BJP spokesman emphasised that even if "a frustrated attempt is made on the PMO, it will "seriously affect the peace process and the Government will have to reconsider India's position because peace is a two-way process."

He called upon the Pakistan Government to see to it that the activities of Lashkar are curbed. The onus will be on Pakistan if any such nefarious attempt is indulged in," he stressed. END