'For a change, he spoke the truth': Venkaiah Naidu reacts to Musharraf's statement on terrorists

New Delhi: Political parties and security experts on Wednesday reacted sharply to former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf acknowledging that his country supported and trained terror groups like LeT saying the truth is finally out and demanded that wanted terrorists be handed over to India. Both BJP and Congress were together in attacking Pakistan for aiding terrorists against India after Musharraf’s statement. In a recent media interview, Musharraf acknowledged Pakistan supported and trained terror groups like LeT in 1990s for fanning militancy in Kashmir. The 72-year-old former military ruler also asserted that terror leaders like Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri were Pakistan’s “heroes” but later became “villains”. [caption id=“attachment_2487340” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo. Image courtesy: AP[/caption] Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, “For a change, he spoke the truth… If they are at all really interested in fighting terror, sometimes they should also raise voice…They should really make these people available to India because they have committed heinous crimes here.” He said now that Musharraf himself has made very clear that they have given support to Dawood Ibrahim and given shelter earlier, “Pakistan understands responsibility and should hand over Dawood and other people who all are required in India.” National Security Adviser Ajit Doval took a dig at Musharraf’s statement saying, “Jaise hero honge, waise hi log honge” (people will always be like their heroes). When asked about it, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit did not respond and merely said, “I will talk about these issues later.” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said Pakistan has been exposed after the revelations and the party’s stand towards Pakistan also stood vindicated that it has established terror factories against India. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said after Musharraf’s statement on Osama bin Laden and terror outfits, it is clear that Pakistan is the home of terrorism. Reacting to the remarks, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “Musharraf’s statement admitting support to terrorist groups is a ‘confession of protectors and promoters of terrorism’,” adding it has once again exposed the real face of Pakistan. Congress leader Manish Tiwari said there is bitterness on both India and Pakistan due to Partition in which millions lost their lives. “There is a very deep and divisive hate-Pakistan sentiment in India and a hate-India sentiment in Pakistan and there are people on both sides of the divide who make capital out of it,” he said. PTI