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The Modi government and political parties on Monday roundly criticised Pakistan for the beheading of two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir, with a Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker insisting that “same treatment” be meted out to the Pakistani army.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley denounced the “barbaric act”, saying such attacks do not even take place during war and that the whole country has full faith in the armed forces.
“Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. The government of India strongly condemns this act. The whole country has full faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to the act,” Jaitley said.
He said sacrifice of the soldiers will not go in vain.
“This is a reprehensible and an inhuman act. Such attacks do not take place (even) during war,” he said.
Demanding a tit-for-tat response, BJP MP R K Singh, a former Union home secretary, said, “Pakistan understands only one language and therefore we need to kill more Pakistani soldiers and give them the same treatment.”
Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, by engaging in such action, Pakistan was scripting its own destruction.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury condemned Pakistan but added that the government should set its own house in order first and not let such incidents happen.
Yechury said such action by Pakistan’s special forces should not be tolerated, but added, “We should also not give them the opportunity for such things to happen. We need to set our own house in order.”
He said eventually all matters (relating to the restive state) would have to be resolved diplomatically and that the government should consult the opposition which was kept in the dark about issues between the two countries.
BJP’s national spokesperson Nalin Kohli said it appears that “inhumanity and barbarism” has become the norm in Pakistan.
“This act will not go unpunished as under Prime Minister Narendra Modi the army has not been restrained from responding to Pakistan’s unprovoked ceasefire violations,” he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on Twitter, “I strongly condemn the barbaric and inhuman mutilation of our soldiers. We must react strongly and firmly.”