The BJP on Monday came out with a measured response to the terror attack in Uri with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar briefing party spokespersons on issues related to the incident and Union Minister for Law Rvi Shankar Prasad saying relations between India and Pakistan “would not be the same again”.
“The basic line has to be taken from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response on Sunday — that the sacrifice of our jawans will not be in vain, and that action will be taken as per time and strategy,” said a party spokesperson who was present at the meeting. “The Defence Minister also briefed us on what steps have been taken by the government in making the borders secure in the last two years including extensive fencing and other measures. Pakistan has been frustrated since the last two years as it has been gradually isolated in the international community on the issue of terror,” said the spokesperson.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was visiting the party headquarters to address a media workshop being held for the Scheduled Caste Morcha of the party explained this more calibrated response. “There is a deep sense of outrage in the country over the incident in Uri, and India’s patience is running thin. Relations between India and Pakistan will not be the same. Whatever decisions will be taken in this regard, however, will be done with full diplomatic and strategic maturity. Talk of surgical strikes etc. cannot be discussed within the ambit of a debate on television,” he said.
BJP’s national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh echoed this line: “This government has tried to peacefully engage with Pakistan at the level of dialogue but that country has shut down every window for peace. They have made it clear that they do not want peace with India. What would be reaction against the events in Uri, that is a decision that the government of India has to make, and it will,” he said. The need to speak in one voice about the government’s commitment seems to have prevailed over the BJP.