Pak must change or else will be divided into several parts: Rajnath's stern warning

Pataudi, Oct 13: With several reports claiming that a large number of terrorists are preparing to infiltrate across the LoC, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a stern warning to Pakistan and told Islamabad to "work honestly, eliminate terrorism and maintain brotherhood".

The Defence Minister said if Pakistan does not fight terrorism honestly, India has the ability to fight fundamentalist forces.

Rajnath Singh was addressing a public function in poll-bound Haryana's Pataudi. Haryana is set to vote on October 21.

"Today with utter politeness, I want to give suggestion to Pakistan that they must change the way they think and the direction of their thinking, else Pakistan that was divided into two parts earlier, will now be divided into several parts," said Singh.

After Centre's August 5 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status, the security establishment have raised concerns that Pakistan was mobilising terror groups along the Line of Control (LoC) following

Earlier in an election rally in Karnal district of Haryana, Rajnath Singh hit out at the Congress over criticism of the 'shastra puja' he performed in front of the Rafale fighter jet handed over by France on October 8.

On October 8, after the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets was handed over to India, Rajnath Singh performed a 'shastra puja' (an ancient practice to pray weapons on Dussehra).

His actions prompted criticism from opposition leaders, with Congress politician Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, calling it "tamasha" and Udit Raj, a former BJP minister who joined the Congress earlier this year, questioning how "nimbu-nariyal" (lemon-coconut) could protect a modern fighter jet.

Singh said if Pakistan does not fight terrorism honestly, India has the ability to fight fundamentalist forces.

"I would like to suggest Pakistan to work honestly, eliminate terrorism, maintain brotherhood. We're neighbours, we want to walk together. If you don't fight terrorism honestly, I clearly state that India has the ability to fight fundamentalist forces," he said.