ISI's penetration in defence forces a matter of concern: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Expressing serious concern over Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's 'candid admission' about Pakistan's ISI penetrating the defence forces, the BJP today said that the country needed to know the failure of the UPA government in identifying and busting these modules targetting national security.

''The country was proud of the contribution of the armed forces to national security but surfacing of ISI modules operating in sensitive zones certainly throws up serious questions about the way the government has handled the issue. The nation can't relax when such incidents are take place and armed forces personnel get arrested under suspicious circumstances working for Pakistan's ISI,'' a party statement said.

''While it is good that Mr Mukherjee had at least openly conceded that ISI had pentrated into the defence forces at a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was talking of fighting terror jointly with Pakistan, a perpetrator of terror,'' a party spokesman said, adding the Prime Minister had gone to the extent of letting Pakistan off the Mumbai blasts by calling that country a 'victim of terror'.

Meanwhile, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan was adding to the confusion by saying that the evidence against Pakistan was ''good but not clinching''. ''If responsible people in government talk in such a manner, it would confuse people and demoralise them on crucial issue concerning national security,'' the spokesman added.

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