India knows how to handle countries like Pakistan: BJP's Ram Madhav

New Delhi, May 03: The post-COVID19 world order will be "markedly different" and it will be in Pakistan's own interest to change its actions like supporting terrorism, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said on Sunday, asserting that India knows how to handle such countries.

The high-profile BJP leader also said it would not be fair to blame an entire religious community for "perceived mistakes" of some members of a group, in apparent reference to Muslims being allegedly blamed for the spurt in coronavirus cases after a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi.

"It doesn't help the community and country at large," he told PTI in an exclusive interview. Strongly rejecting allegations of "Islamophobia" in India, Madhav said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is enjoying support of all communities in the fight against the coronavirus and that those suffering from "Modi-phobia" are trying to communalise the country’s discourse.

He also said there will be a flight of capital from China in the post pandemic phase and India will be an attractive destination for investments by the global corporate giants.

On Pakistan, Madhav said the country has not relented on its anti-India and pro-terror campaigns even when the entire world is focusing on dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

“It shows that somewhere something is hugely amiss in Pakistan's leadership. It doesn't want to improve relations with India,” he said. Madhav said Pakistan itself will be forced to decided what place it wants in the post-COVID19 global order. “It is as much a question to Pakistan as to China.”

He further said: “It will be in Pakistan's own interest to change its actions in the emerging new world order and India knows how to handle such nations.” Pakistan has been unrelenting in its efforts to push militants into India as there have been rising incidents of unprovoked firing by Pakistan military along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in the last few weeks notwithstanding the coronavirus crisis, according to military officials. In the post-COVID19 period, Madhav said the priorities for the world could be health care, climate change and liberal democratic values.

"India will have a bigger role to play. India is leader in all this."

Talking about China, Madhav said he felt many companies will move out of the neighbouring country in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and India will be an attractive destination for them.

“In the post COVID period there will be a flight of capital from China, and India will certainly be an attractive destination for them,” he said. The senior BJP leader said it will be interesting to see what course China takes in the post-pandemic phase.

"In Communist Party of China's parleys, there is a word called 'Line Struggle'. From time-to-time, this line struggle results in leadership change in the country. That is how Xi Jinping became leader in 2009 and subsequently became supreme leader in 2013. But line struggle also means change in party's line of thinking," he added. "In 2013, Xi Jinping gave new direction of outreach and increasing Chinese influence," he said.

On allegations of Islamophobia, he said they "were nothing but some sort of propaganda and were not based on the ground reality”.

There has been a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by leading citizens and rights activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed for spreading coronavirus in several parts of India. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a powerful bloc of 57 countries, recently accused India of "Islamophobia".

India rejected the charges as regrettable. Crediting Modi's leadership with effective handling of the pandemic, Madhav said: "India has set a shining example that how visionary leadership, democratic governance and popular support can work together to face such challenges.”

He said one of the major reasons for successful handling of coronavirus crisis is that the country is "unitedly" standing behind the government. Referring to surveys showing higher approval ratings for Modi among global leaders, Madhav said they reflected that he is enjoying the support of Muslims, Christians and all other minorities.

“Look at the way the country has responded to his clarion calls to light lamps or clap for corona warriors. But some elements are trying to communalise the discourse as they are suffering from Modi-phobia,” he said.