Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday criticised Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif over his recent warning targeting Kolkata, calling the remarks provocative and cautioning Islamabad against repeating past mistakes.“Pakistan’s Defence Minister should not have given such a provocative statement. 55 years ago, they suffered the consequences when Pakistan was divided into two parts. If they try to cast an eye on Bengal, only God knows how many parts Pakistan will be divided into this time,” Singh said.The response comes after Asif warned that Pakistan could strike Kolkata in the event of any “future misadventure” by India. Speaking in Sialkot, Asif had said, “If India attempts another false-flag operation, then, God willing, we will take it to Kolkata.”Also read – ‘We will take it to Kolkata’: Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif warns India of strikes in ‘future misadventures’He also alleged that New Delhi could be planning a “false-flag operation” to blame Islamabad, though he did not provide any evidence.Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high since the April 22 Pahalgam attack last year, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The attack led to a brief but intense military confrontation between May 7 and 10.Hostilities eased after Pakistan sought a ceasefire, which India accepted, while maintaining that its military response under Operation Sindoor had only been paused. New Delhi has also asserted that it will not distinguish between terrorist groups and Pakistan’s military leadership in its response.Earlier, Asif had described Pakistan’s response to any Indian action as “swift, calibrated and decisive,” reacting to Singh’s warning that any future “misadventure” would invite “unprecedented and decisive” retaliation.The latest remarks also follow comments by former Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul Basit, who suggested that Islamabad could target major Indian cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi if its nuclear arsenal were threatened, arguing that India would become the “next best option.”“If someone casts an evil eye on us, we will strike Mumbai and New Delhi without hesitation,” Basit added.
