Was Antony 'constrained' while commenting on killings: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 8: BJP on Thursday wondered if Defence Minister A K Antony was "constrained" by some factors when he made the statement on the killing of five Indian soldiers along the LoC even as it asked the government to make clear the reasons for the "compulsion" to hold talks with Pakistan.

Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that there are "palpable contradictions" in the statement made by the minister and the army.

"What is the mystery behind the statement of the Defence Minister," Prasad asked. He maintained that if as a Defence Minister he felt there was a need to change the statement from the one given by the army he could have done so. "But he ought to be fair to Parliament if he was doing so and said the statement has been changed for the underlined reasons," Prasad said.

The party said though Antony claimed he had examined whether state and non-state actors from Pakistan were involved in the attack, it is "aghast" that he claimed terrorists were dressed as army personnel. The main Opposition said in the wake of these developments it is "constrained" to say that Antony's statement was aimed at giving an "escape route" to Pakistan government.

Prasad wondered why there is this compulsion in the government to hold talks with Pakistan. "Is security of India more important or the compulsion to hold talks," he asked. BJP reiterated its demand that Antony apologise in Parliament. "If for some reasons he was constrained to make this statement he should make amends," Prasad said.

PTI