Former army chief praises Indian Muslims

Hyderabad, Dec 26 (UNI) Praising Indian Muslims for not succumbing to the sinister designs of 'Islamic terrorists,' former Army Chief V N Sharma today lauded them for thwarting all attempts of external forces to create communal disharmony in the country.

Mr Sharma was here for the BJP-led Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's national conference.

After the inauguration he said Muslims in this country had merged with its composite culture and did not give room to terrorists who were trying to infiltrate in large numbers from Nepal and Bangladesh.

After failing to defeat India in three full-fledged wars and the Kargil intrusion, Pakistan was trying to destabilise the country by sponsoring terrorism across the border, the former Army chief alleged.

Expressing the opinion that the present political system was afflicted with 'criminalisation', he said corruption in high places was the other major problem faced by the country. Youth had a great role in electing good leaders to rule the country.

He lamented that vote bank politics was playing with the country's future.

Asserting that Kashmir was an integral part of India, he said Pakistan had no right over Kashmir whatsoever.

Expressing concern over the threat to internal security from naxalites and other extremist groups, he said 'we have to involve youth in a big way to fight internal security threats'.

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