 "Difficult to trust Pakistan: Uddhav")
In a statement issued here, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said, "So far only India has taken initiative of forgetting the past and starting afresh. Hence, it is difficult to trust Pakistan. But we trust Modi's leadership and hence we do not want to create hurdles for him. If Pakistan does not mend its ways, Modi will have to press the nuclear button."
Reacting to Congress' allegation that it was silent over the invitation to Pakistan premier Sharif for Modi's swearing-in tomorrow, Uddhav said, "It is as if only Shiv Sena is concerned about Pakistan's involvement in terrorism activities in India and others have nothing to do with it."
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He said a strong government led by a decisive leader has been brought to power to ensure that issues of national security, terrorism and infiltration from neighbouring countries are settled once for all.
Sena has been very vocal in its opposition to Pakistani cricketers playing in India, or artistes from that country performing here.
"What is important is sentiments of the martyrs in India. Kargil happened during Sharif's tenure. The cries of their mothers, wives and sisters are bursting our eardrums. The manner in which Sarabjit was killed is not how a good neighbour behaves. Terrorism in Kashmir valley has not ended. Still now with Modi at the helm, it is expected that good days will come in respect of Pakistan and there will be peace in Kashmir and the entire country," Uddav said. "Is (Nawaz) Sharif coming to India to assure Modi of this," he asked. Earlier in the day Maharashtra Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said, "Arrival of Pakistan prime minister for the swearing-in is a big event. It was expected that Shiv Sena would make its stand clear on presence of Nawaz Sharif but its silence shows that its earlier anti-Pakistan stand was just for political convenience." "Inviting the Pakistan PM is not wrong. But had it been done by Congress, what would BJP and Sena have done?" he asked.