\'Befitting reply, if attacked\', VP Venkaiah Naidu warns Pakistan

Vishakhapatnam: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, on Wednesday, warned Pakistan of "fitting reply" from India in the event of any attack.

His remarks come amid tension between India and Pakistan after the government ended special status for Jammu and Kashmir and split it into union territories earlier this month.

"We never attacked any country...but we will not attack anybody, we can assure all. But if anybody tries to attack us, we will give them a fitting reply which they will not forget in their lifetime," the Vice President said in Visakhapatnam. "Let me underline, we are not warmongers. We are peace-loving citizens," he added.

Reiterating the government's stand that Kashmir is India's internal issue, he accused Pakistan of funding and training terrorists.

"We don't want to interfere in anybody's internal affairs. But we don't want others also to interfere in our internal affairs by talking about Kashmir... What is there to discuss in Kashmir? Kashmir is an integral part of India," Venkaiah Naidu said. 

"India never attacked any country. All Tom, Dick and Harry came and attacked us, they ruled us, they ruined us, they looted us, they cheated us, cheated some of our minds also...," the Vice President said.

Referring to Pakistan, he said, "One of our neighbours is aiding, funding and training terrorists continuously, without realising the damage they are doing to humanity and also the damage they are going to inflict on themselves in the coming future, they should understand that."

Pakistan has been attempting to internationalise the Kashmir dispute. Islamabad's attempts to create a stir in the United Nations Security Council over Kashmir fell flat after most of the participating nations agreed that the ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into two union territories was a bilateral matter between New Delhi and Islamabad.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with US President Donald Trump by his side at their meeting in France, reiterated New Delhi's stand, saying all issues between India and Pakistan were bilateral in nature.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had said on Monday, that he would raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum, including the UN General Assembly.

A minister in his cabinet said Khan is considering a complete closure of air space to India and blocking its trade route to Afghanistan.