Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Thakur on Monday broke his silence on Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto's 'low-level' comment on PM Modi at the sideline of the UNSC meeting. Anurag Thakur also outlined Modi Government's 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism and highlighted how India's pressure on such evil has irked Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference, Anurag Thakur said, "Bilawal Bhutto’s statement and Pakistan minister’s threat, show the pressure India’s strict actions & probes have put on terrorism. Pakistan must stop backing terrorism and terror funding or else they themselves will face the heat of it"
"The approach adopted by Modi Govt is zero tolerance for terror. Decisive action has given us definitive results. If you look at surgical strikes and Balakot strike and strike after strike against terrorists has reduced terrorism by 168% in J&K since 2014," added Thakur.
Furthermore, Anurag Thakur said, "If you look at the conviction rate in terror financing it is 94%. It is just because of the policies adopted and the new laws made and other international conferences held in India."
Pakistan's 'hollow' threat to India & Bhutto's remarks
The Pakistani foreign minister made remarks against PM Modi and slammed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted at the United Nations Security Council meeting the neighbouring country's support to various terror groups and described the country as the "epicentre of terrorism". India reacted strongly to Bhutto's 'butcher of Gujarat' remarks and External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi said that Bilawal’s "uncivilised outburst" seemed to be a result of Pakistan's increasing inability to use terrorists and their "proxies".
"Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like (Zakiur Rehman) Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim,” he said. "No other country can boast of having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities." Bagchi also said that the minister's remarks "are a new low, even for Pakistan."
Amidst Bhuttos' 'low-level' politics, Pakistan minister Shazia Marri jumped into the controversy and threatened India with “nuclear war.” In a news conference on Saturday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri said, “Pakistan knows how to answer. India should not forget that Pakistan has an atom bomb. Our nuclear status is not meant to remain silent. We will not back down if the need arises.”