Don't divert attention, India needs assurance: Mayawati tells PM

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), [India], Sept 25, (ANI): Dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address targeting Pakistan over the Uri terror attack as an attempt to divert attention, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday urged the former to chalk long-term solution to such problems. Mayawati said the nation expects Prime Minister Modi's assurance that incidents like Uri will not be repeated. "The nation expects the Prime Minister to take stringent steps post the Uri attack so that such incidents do not occur again. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not able to build trust among the Indians that such incidents will not occur," Mayawati said. "Our Prime Minister instead of finding a long-term solution to the problem is distracting people by making such speeches," she added. Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister over his reference to Pakistan over war against poverty, unemployment and development, Mayawati said that the former before advising Islamabad should introspect as to what has his government done for the people of India. "The Prime Minister in his address yesterday including the Uri attack also spoke of development in the nation. I would like to say that instead of giving advice to Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi should look at his own government. There has been no development in their rule, he should also see whether his government has done enough to advise someone else," she said. Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister launched a scathing attack on Pakistan and said that India would never forget the Uri terror attack and would make all efforts to isolate Islamabad globally. "A day will come when the people of Pakistan will go against their own government to fight terrorism. India has been successful in isolating you (Pakistan) globally, and we will intensify our efforts to make sure that you are isolated globally. The people of Pakistan should ask their leaders that India and Pakistan got freedom in the same year, but India exports software and your (Pakistan) leaders are exporting terrorists," said Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a public rally in Kozhikode. The Prime Minister said he can see a lot of potential to make sure that the 21st century becomes Asia's 21st century, adding that all the countries in Asia are working for it, except one. Asserting that terrorism is the enemy of humanity, Prime Minister Modi called upon the international community to join hands to defeat terrorism. Recalling the sacrifices of the 18 soldiers, who were killed in the Uri terror attack, Prime Minister Modi said India is very proud of the armed forces. "There have been 17 fidayeen attempts by our neighbour, which our brave soldiers foiled. Leaders of the neighbouring country used to say that they will fight for 1,000 years; where are they now," he asked. The Prime Minister further said more than 110 terrorists have been killed in the past few months by the Indian Army as they were trying to infiltrate. Taking a jibe at Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi said India is exporting engineers all over the world, whereas Islamabad is exporting terrorists. "I want to tell Pakistan that India is ready to fight you. If you have guts, come forward to fight against poverty. Let's see who wins? Who is able to defeat poverty and illiteracy first, Pakistan or India" he added. (ANI)