NEW DELHI – Indian Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday slammedPakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement with Indiadespite giving assurance not to do so, saying Islamabad should notmisinterpret “powerful” India’s “decency”. Pakistani shelling along theborder in Jammu and Kashmir has increased over the past two weeks.

Fourteen people, including eight civilians, have been killed in theshelling since January 18, according to the state police.

“Three-four days ago, Pakistan Rangers held a flag meeting with our BSF DG.(The Rangers) assured that the ceasefire violation would not take place.But despite this, Pakistan has been violating ceasefire,” Singh said.

“Not saying much, I just want to say our politeness and decency has alimit and we want to maintain good relations with all and also with ourneighbors. But our decency should not be wrongly interpreted,” he said.

“India is no more a weak country. India has now become a powerful country.”Singh said Pakistan, being a neighbour, should have a friendly attitudetowards India, but added that the fencing of the Indo-Pak border wasunderway at a rapid pace.

Singh was in Chandigarh to address members of the Bharatiya Janata YuvaMorcha. He was accompanied by Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher and Chandigarh BJPunit chief Sanjay Tandon.

Asked about the case registered against Army personnel following the deathof two civilians in firing in Kashmir’s Shopian district last week, theminister praised the Army. “I can say that the situation in Jammu andKashmir has turned far normal compared to what it was.

Our security forces and Army personnel were working effectively. J&K isours, it will always be ours and people of J&K are also ours,” he said.

To a question related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he said the SupremeCourt recently gave a verdict and an SIT was being formed to follow theorder.

On January 11, the court ordered to set up a three-member specialinvestigation team to supervise further probe into 186 anti-Sikh riot casesin which investigations were closed. Asked about the incidents of violenceover caste and religion, he said all people in India are safe irrespectiveof their caste, creed and religion.

Asked to comment on a reported statement of J-K’s deputy grand muftiBasher-ud-din that Muslims of India should demand a separate nation forthemselves, Singh said: “I also want to appeal to those plagued withmentality of casteism, religion and minority should come out of it and theyneed to ponder over it. All should believe that we are Indian.” – PTI