Do not play politics over national interests: PM Modi

Playing up the nationalism plank to the hilt in the middle of campaigning for assembly polls in Bihar and by-poll for Madhya Pradesh, BJP has gone the whole hog to highlight the statement of Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry admitting his country's role in the Pulwama terror attack during a Parliament debate.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Pakistan minister's remarks had exposed the rival parties here, who were doing politics post-Pulwama and recalled how cheap politics (bhaddi rajniiti) was at peak then, BJP President JP Nadda in a poll rally in Siwan demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi.

In another rally in Bhagalpur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh maintained that NDA walked the talk on what it promises and the admission by Pakistan minister had brought out the truth.

After the first phase of Bihar polls on October 28, BJP increasingly latched on to emotive nationalistic issues to drum up support this time in Bihar.

Opposition parties and leaders have also tried to put the government on the mat raising issues of the government's response to the Chinese aggression in Ladakh and its commitment to national security.

Addressing an event at Kevadiya in Gujarat after paying tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity on his 145th birth anniversary, Modi said that the truth of last year's Pulwama terror attack has been accepted in Pakistan Parliament and rued that when the entire nation was mourning the brave soldiers' death in Pulwama attack, some people indulged in "dirty politics" for their political gains.

"The country cannot forget that when the entire nation was aggrieved, some people were not participating in that grief. They were seeing their political interests in the Pulwama attack. The country cannot forget what kinds of statements were made, what all were said. The nation cannot forget when it got such a big wound, dirty politics full of opportunism and arrogance was at a peak. The real face of such people has been exposed after the truth was accepted in the Parliament of our neighbouring country. I want to urge such political parties not to indulge in this kind of politics as it affects the morale of our security forces. By playing into the hands of anti-national forces knowingly or unknowingly for personal gains, you will not be able to serve the interest of either the country or your party," said Modi.

Latching on to the Pakistan minister's remarks Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said in an election rally in Bhagalpur that it "revealed the truth" on the issue "silenced" those who had questioned the NDA government's intent after the Pulwama terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 40 CRPF personnel after which the government had carried Balakot terror strike against Pakistan.

Lashing out at the Opposition parties, Singh said that Congress and other Opposition leaders raised questions whenever the NDA government worked for the country's security with all strength. Recalling that BJP stalwart late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had praised former prime minister Indira Gandhi in Parliament when she had divided Pakistan into two and created Bangladesh, Singh said that on the contrary Congress had only one work left doubting and raising questions over the government's achievements ruling.

On Friday, BJP President J P Nadd in his poll rally in Siwan said that Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the country for his stand on Pulwama. "What should I say about the Congress party and Rahul babu. They became Pakistan advocates (Vakil)".

Mocking BJP over its "Pakistan" centric campaign, Congress asked why does BJP remember Pakistan when elections come and said, "This KPK (Kashmir, Pakistan, Kabristan) model will not work anymore.