Congress attacks government over ‘ill treatment’ to Rajnath

New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) The Congress on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government for what it said were "insult and ill treatment" meted out to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his two-day trip to Pakistan to attend a Saarc ministerial meeting.

"We are angry and saddened by the manner in which the Home Minister was treated in Pakistan," senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.

"Never before has the Home Minister been insulted like this," Singhvi said.

"The question is: Why was he allowed to be mistreated like this?" the Congress leader questioned.

The Congress leader's remarks came a day after Singh returned to India after attending the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Home/Interior Ministers Meeting in Islamabad.

Pakistan hosted the Saarc meeting amid a bloody unrest in the Kashmir Valley in the wake of July 8 killing of militant commander Burhan Wani and resultant violence in which more than 50 people have died in clashes between security personnel and Kashmiri protesters.

Singhvi said there were terror groups openly abusing and mocking at India while Rajnath Singh was in Pakistan.

"Why were no guarantees sought by the Indian government before the Home Minister visited Pakistan?" Why has Modi government not moved beyond the sari-shawl diplomacy," he asked.

The Congress leader said there have been Saarc meetings before under the shadow of terrorism, but "never before have we seen such type of insults against India".

"Pakistan Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) said Kashmir was witnessing a new wave of freedom movement. Never before has the Pakistan government dared talk like this," the Congress leader claimed.

Taking a dig at Modi, Singhvi said: "Pakistan routinely insults India but the Modi government rolls out the red carpet -- first for the Pakistan Prime Minister and then for the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence).

"Now, even China is officially talking about Kashmir in foreign policy matters."

India has blamed Pakistan for stoking trouble in Jammu and Kashmir after Nawaz Sharif hailed Wani as one who died fighting for the "freedom" of his state.

Pakistan also observed a black day against Wani's killing.

Singhvi said the country's foreign policy is lying in tatters. "We had no business to put ourselves in such positions where we can be embarrassed," he added.