Opposition parties today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Pakistan media reports that Pathankot attack was "stage-managed" by India and that its JIT was not provided with evidence of involvement of Pak-based terrorists, drawing a sharp response from the BJP.
Attacking the prime minister, the Congress tweeted, "Did Modiji invite the Pakistani JIT so that they could insult the memory of our brave martyrs?" while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the "invitation" amounted to giving a "clean chit" to ISI for the terror attack in January.
Kejriwal also demanded that Modi tender an "apology" for the "monumental" foreign policy failure. An ISI official was part of the five-member JIT that was in India last week.
JD-U said the claim by an unnamed JIT member quoted in the media reports was a "slap" on the face the country for which the Modi government is responsible.
BJP termed as "shameful" Kejriwal's attack on Modi for "inviting" JIT to India and his cabinet colleague Kapil Mishra asking "do we have a ISI agent as PM now?".
Congress demanded an apology from BJP chief Amit Shah for "having distributed certificates of sincerity to Pakistan" in the light of the Pakistani media reports.
Congress' communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said, "it is now clear that neither has Modiji's rhetoric of 56 inches chest or showing red eyes to Pakistan and China paid off nor has his sudden visit to Pakistan and attending feasts and marriage parties with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had any effect."
Surjewala said the prime minister should "rise over theatrics" and take diplomacy seriously, which the country expects as 125 crore people of India are feeling "betrayed" by Modi.
He, however, said the reports once again exposed the "doubled-faced" policy of Pakistan in dealing with terrorism.
Alleging that the development has caused "national embarrassment", senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said Congress had "cautioned" the Prime Minister and the government about the JIT which also had a representative from ISI.
"A diplomatic crime has been committed. This has caused national embarrassment. BJP chief Amit Shah, who lacks any comprehension of the complex issue and gravitas of foreign policy, was distributing certificates of sincerity to Pakistan in the Pathankot matter. He should apologise to the people," Sharma said.
The Centre's decision to invite a Pakistani JIT to probe the Pathankot airbase attack was a "monumental failure" and a "stab" in the back of "Bharat Mata", Kejriwal told reporters.
He alleged that Modi had entered into a deal with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif during his Lahore visit in December last year, and sought to know its details "in the country's interest".
"The Prime Minister called over ISI officials despite being aware that it was behind the Pathankot terror attack which amounted to a clean chit. Now the JIT has reportedly claimed that India had itself staged the attack. No prime minister has capitulated before Pakistan the way Modi ji has."
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the 125 crore people of India will never forgive Kapil Mishra for calling the Prime Minister an "ISI agent".
Such use of words for a Prime Minister for "cheap politics and lust of power" amounted to insult of Indian people, he said, asking, "What message are you sending to the international community? Whose hands are you strengthening by uttering such kind of words?".
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Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu termed the "stage managed" theory propagated by Pakistan as its "regular drama" as done by it in the past, but called for dialogue as the way forward.
"Pakistan should once and for all decide on whether to have a policy of aiding, abetting, funding and training terrorism. This is a fact.
"India and Pakistan are neighbours. We want to have friendly relations with all our neighbours, including Pakistan. Earlier we were together. Keeping that in mind, the responsibility lies with Pakistan to create a conducive atmosphere to move forward," he said, adding, dialogue is the way forward and the process must be exhausted to see what can happen.
Naidu also claimed Pakistan is "under pressure" from some "extremist groups" in their country and that is why they are taking this particular line.
"I hope it will rethink," he said, adding, nobody including Pakistanis would believe on Pak's claim that Pathankot was 'stage managed' by India".
He, however, said there is an "overwhelming" public opinion to have good relations between both the countries.
"It is a very delicate and sensitive matter and we have to tread our path in such a manner to see how to address this. People want dialogue. But at the same time dialogue and terror cannot go together," he said, adding that government is trying to address the issues.
