Modi’s belligerent rhetoric 

Amid growing protests over the contentious citizenship laws, declining economic growth, and a looming state election in which the BJP is not expected to do well, Indian Prime Minister Modi has now again turned to his favourite punching bag: Pakistan.

The Indian prime minister has made the preposterous claim that India is capable of making Pakistan ‘bite the dust’ in less than ten days in any new war. He added that the new prowess is due to what called he calls ‘youthful thinking’. The Indian PM claimed this was evident from the so-called surgical strikes.

The remarks are condemnable to say the least but also show that the Indian prime minister is deluded. The BJP government is now also threatening any dissident with sedition charges. Police in New Delhi have arrested a Muslim student who organised a protest against the discriminatory citizenship law. Now the BJP is turning to criticize Pakistan when convenient.

As the Pakistan Foreign Office rightly stated, the irresponsible and war-mongering remarks are a reflection of India’s obsession with Pakistan, and the BJP leadership’s desperate attempts to divert attention from the growing criticism of its discriminatory policies. The Indian prime minister’s threat and provocative statements illustrate the extremist mindset of the BJP leadership which has permeated state institutions in India.

The global community might not have taken enough action against India over its policies in Kashmir or against minorities, it but has not forgotten them either. The European Union is expected to bring a resolution condemning the lockdown in Kashmir. These resolutions should be followed by sanctions as the international community should take note of this rhetoric and aggressive statements.

With regards to the Balakot misadventure, India should be reminded that its fighter aircraft crashed and a pilot was captured and only released as a goodwill gesture. No one believes the Indian narrative that it conducted a surgical strike in Pakistan. This shows the capability and preparedness of Pakistan’s armed forces and the resolve of the people.

One wonders why the Indian leadership resorts to vilify Pakistan just for its political gains. The new prowess Modi is speaking of is not youthful thinking but a resurrection of the fascist Hindutva ideology only comparable to Nazism. After all, the BJP needs to appease its voters and issue such statements regularly but attempts to discredit those speaking up against BJP will instead expunge democratic freedoms in the country.