Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Sunday called for closer cooperation between India and Britain to fight terrorism and endorsed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks during his visit to India last year accusing Pakistan of “exporting terror”.
Mr Gadkari, who is on a six-day visit to Britain, said his party wanted good relations with Pakistan but the latter must stop supporting terror groups. He described Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as “offshoots” of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.
Addressing a convention of the Overseas Friends of BJP, he expressed concern over terror attacks in Mumbai and urged the international community to come together to strengthen the “global framework’’ against terrorism.
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“Terrorism is a common concern for the mankind and it does not recognise any boundaries”, he said.
Without directly pointing finger at Pakistan for the recent bomb blasts in Mumbai, Mr Gadkari "appreciated" Mr Cameron’s “bold” statement in which he had said: “We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able to promote the export of terror, whether to India or Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world.”
Mr Cameron’s remarks during a visit to Bangalore last year sparked a diplomatic row with Pakistan forcing him to insist that Britain regarded Pakistan as a key ally in the fight against terror.
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Mr Gadkari said there were very growing “linkages” among terror groups and India and Britain needed to give “the highest priority to defeating global terrorism”.
He said the BJP- ruled states were making big progress in the development of infrastructure, tourism and other sectors and invited Britons of Indian origin to take advantage of “the positive investment climate” in these states. He spoke at length at his party’s role in exposing corruption.
Others who spoke included former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Smriti Irani, a Rajya Sabha member and President of the BJP Mahila Morcha.