'If terrorist runs & hides in Pakistan, then ...': Rajnath Singh's strong message

Courtesy: CNN-News18

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh reacted to a recent report by The Guardian which claimed that India carried out targeted assassinations in Pakistan, saying that the country will give a befitting reply to anyone that carries out terror activities against it.

In a snippet from his exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, which will be released at 8pm on April 5, Rajnath gave a strong message to Pakistan over cross-border terrorism.

"If any terrorist tries to disturb peace in India, it will give a befitting reply ... if the terrorist runs away and hides in Pakistan, then 'ghar mein ghus ke maarenge," Rajnath said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken the truth ... India has the ability [to do it] and Pakistan has also started understanding that,” the defence minister said when asked about a report in the UK newspaper about India ordering assassinations in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists on foreign soil.

Though Rajnath did not directly comment on the report, he asserted that India is not the India of the past and no longer spares anyone who bats an eyelid against it.

"India wants to maintain good ties with its neighbours, no matter what country it is. We have never ever attacked any country first or tried to occupy anyone's territory. But if someone keeps needling us, then we have had it," the defence minister asserted.

Earlier, the ministry of external affairs denied allegations made in the report that about India carrying out targeted assassinations in Pakistan.

It called The Guardian report “false and malicious propaganda".

The ministry also underlined a previous statement by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in which he said that targeted killings in other countries were "not the policy of the government of India”.