NDA, SP and RJD today joined hands in the Lok Sabha to attack the government over Pakistan's dilly dallying tactics on prosecution of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, saying his release has rendered Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurances meaningless.
Demanding an immediate response from the government on the development, members from these parties created an uproar leading to adjournment of the House for half an hour.
The issue of indefinite postponement of the hearing of Saeed, chief of Jamaat-ud Dawa outfit, by Pakistan's Supreme Court was raised by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav during Zero Hour. He was instantly supported by BJP, Shiv Sena, JD(U) as also RJD.
Yadav said the development, that indicates Pakistan's lack of will to target Saeed, exposes the hollowness of Prime Minister's statement of "trust and verify" with regard to Islamabad's actions against terrorism.
Amid slogans like "Pradhan Mantri Jawab do (PM should reply)" by SP members, Yadav said Singh had eased pressure on Pakistan that had been built after the Mumbai attacks.
"Pakistan had been isolated after the Mumbai attacks. The world had come to realise that Pakistan is breeding ground for terrorism. But the Prime Minister has accorded it recognition at international scene," he said.
Taking strong exception to the recent Indo-Pak joint statement, Yadav said the document needed to be "thrown into the waste paper basket" as Islamabad has again betrayed the trust reposed by New Delhi.
Asserting that Pakistan should be given a "categorical response", the SP chief said Saeed's release posed a "grave threat to India's security".
"If another incident like 26/11 happens, the government will be held responsible. It is wrong to contend that Pakistan is also suffering from terrorism," he said.
As Speaker allowed a Congress member Madhu Yakshi Goud to raise another issue, the BJP, SP, Shiv Sena and RJD members protested and wanted they be heard first.
Yashwant Sinha (BJP) alleged that since Saeed has "direct links" with the ISI, "no one in Pakistan has the guts to put him behind bars" and therefore the authorities are finding new alibis to release him.
He said Home Minister P Chidambaram had said a fresh dossier sent to Pakistan was enough to prosecute the LeT chief.
Sinha pointed out that External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had said any talks with Pakistan would now be futile and wanted the government to clarify its position.
