Pakistan enemy country for BJP, not for us: Karnataka Congress leader

Karnataka Congress councillor BK Hariprasad on Wednesday stoked a row by saying that Pakistan may be an "enemy country" for the BJP

Karnataka Congress councillor BK Hariprasad on Wednesday stoked a row by saying that Pakistan may be an "enemy country" for the BJP, but the Congress only considers it as a neighbouring country. Reacting to it, the state BJP has accused the Congress of harbouring "anti-national sentiments".

Hariprasad made this remark in response to BJP's allegations that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised after Congress's Rajya Sabha win in the state on Tuesday.

"They speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country; it's our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah's mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then?" Hariprasad said in the Legislative Council.

Reacting to Hariprasad's statement, the Karnataka BJP criticised the Congress for not terming Pakistan as an "enemy nation" even after it waged war against India four times and said the party held "anti-national sentiments".

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday warned that strict action will be taken if allegations raised by the opposition BJP that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in the state Assembly, proved to be true. He has also called for a Forensic Science Lab (FSL) probe into the allegations.