Pak has forgotten difference between terrorists, freedom fighters: Rajnath

Chandigarh: In a blistering attack on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said its entire establishment is engaged in fuelling terrorism in India and warned that "those who rear snakes would be bitten".

India is against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, but does not hate its people, the minister said and offered help to conduct anti-terrorism campaign in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir for the "closure of terror factories".

The Home Minister's attack on Pakistan comes a day after Prime Minsister Narendra Modi dubbed it as the mother-ship of terrorism.

Addressing the two-day Regional Editors Conference from north and northeast states in Chandigarh, he said, "Pakistan's entire establishment is engaged in fueling terrorism in India and that's why, the management of areas along the Indo-Pak border has become a challenging task...But those who rear snakes should know they would bite them."

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By adopting terrorism as its state policy, Pakistan is getting isolated not only in South Asia but also in the international community, Singh said.

"Pakistan is so much obsessed with some issues that neither can it benefit others nor can it look at its own welfare. Its obsession with Kashmir has reached such a level that it cannot tell apart a terrorist from a freedom fighter," the Minister said.

He termed Pakistan's flexible attitude towards terrorism as "the biggest hindrance" in the bilateral relationship. "As far as the relationship between India and Pakistan is concerned, the biggest hindrance is Pakistan as its attitude towards terrorism is quite flexible. As far as India's intention is concerned, we want to eliminate terrorism from the entire region," Singh said.

He said the logic of state and non-state actors which used to be given in connection with Pakistan has now turned "hollow".

The Home Minister stressed that India "hates" Pakistan sponsored terrorism and not its people.

"No hatred towards people of Pakistan. We do not hate people of Pakistan and we do not want to keep a distance from them. We hate Pakistan-sponsored terrorism only.

"If its intentions remain clear, India can help Pakistan carry out an anti-terror campaign in PoK. If Pakistan wishes, it can seek our help and India is ready to help it. It can also take help from anyone in the global community. But its intentions are not clear," he said.

Singh said that with the closure of "terror factories in Pakistan, peace and harmony will prevail in South Asia and a way to development and prosperity will open."