BJP should not politicise militant attack, talks necessary with neighbours: RPN Singh

Minister of State for Home Affairs RPN Singh on Thursday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for politicizing the militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and said that history would remind them that talks with Pakistan have taken place even during the most tense periods between the two countries, under the NDA.

“The BJP seems to have a short memory . They seem to forget when they were in power, immediately after the Kargil war, the then NDA government had invited General Musharraf to Agra and we all know how those talks went . You always have to talk with your neighbour,” Singh said.

“We have continued to do that. The Prime Minister is committed to bringing about peace on the India-Pakistan front. He will definitely raise the hard questions which need to be asked from Paksitan, but a peace process with your neighbour can only happen if talks happen,” he added

Condemning the incident, RPN Singh also backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision to go on with talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, and said that it was a constructive way forward for both countries to resolve their issues.

“It’s an extremely barbaric attack on the police, as well as the Army being carried out at the moment. …It is extremely unfortunate what happened with the police forces, as well as the jawans. I take this opportunity to extend my condolences to the families of the people who have lost their lives,” Singh said.

“It is extremely unfortunate that whenever we see a peace talk between India and Pakistan, these kind of incidents always happen just before talks happen. It seems that somebody or some hand is trying to derail the peace process between India and Pakistan,” he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the terrorist strike on army and police camps in Jammu and Kashmir, but said it would not succeed in derailing dialogue with Pakistan.

In a statement, Singh said: "No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on Hiranagar Police Station and the Army camp at Samba in Jammu and Kashmir this morning. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the brave army and police officers, as well as the innocent civilians martyred in this cowardly attack.

Asserting that this is one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions by the enemies of peace, Singh said: "We are firmly resolved to combat and defeat the terrorist menace that continues to receive encouragement and reinforcement from across the border.

"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," he added.

The attack comes a day after Manmohan Singh left for the US yesterday, where he is scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Sunday.

In a major attack, terrorists dressed in army fatigues have killed at least 12 people in a police station in Hiranagar in Kathua district and at an Army cantonment nearby this morning.

Over a dozen people are injured and more casualties are feared.

The militants first attacked a police station in Hiranagar of Kathua district. According to reports, six policemen and three civilians have been killed in the attack on the police station.

The militants later intercepted a truck on the highway, boarded it and forced its driver to move towards Jammu. The militants stopped the vehicle near the gate of an army camp in Samba and attacked the camp.

The militants started firing inside the army area, initiating the encounter with the security personnel.

A gun-battle is still on. Further details are awaited.