Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said Pakistan was "encouraging" terrorism, but India would neither allow its "designs" to succeed nor the country's dignity and self-respect to be compromised on.
Singh, who had come to pay tributes to freedom fighter Birsa Munda at Ulihatu in Khunti district, about 75 km from here, said Pakistan and the rest of the world should know India would never compromise on self-respect and dignity.
"First I decided not to go to (the recently-held) SAARC meeting in Pakistan, but when protests against India and me were witnessed in Pakistan, I told my officials I'll definitely go and present India's points strongly," Singh said.
The Home Minister said he had been told that 500-600 demonstrations were being held across Pakistan against his visit and he himself saw a couple of them.
"I told my officials I will go to Pakistan as it is not (about) Rajnath Singh it is (about) the representative of India," Singh said.
"I too got the report that 500-600 demonstrations were being held against my visit and top terrorists were on the roads, but I went to the heart of Pakistan and presented my point," Singh said.
He said he reached the SAARC venue by helicopter and presented his point in the meeting. He said after the meeting delegates went for lunch and Pakistan, the host, too left the venue.
From there he left for India without having lunch.
"I did not go to Pakistan for having lunch. I had to reply to the activities of Pakistan, which I did. I would assure you that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi everything can happen, but no comprise on country's dignity and self-respect," he asserted.
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