JOIN USIndia sent a strong message to Pakistan with the Lok Sabha adopting a resolution, against the grant of bail to 26/11 plotter Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, which stated that the neighbouring nation had not learnt its lesson from the recent massacre of innocent schoolchildren in its own territory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Lok Sabha that the bail granted to Lakhvi on Thursday came as a “shock” to all those who believed in humanity.
“Every child had tears in his eyes; every Indian had tears in his eyes,” the prime minister said. “But, immediately after that, this kind of attitude (grant of bail to Lakhvi) has come as a shock to all those who believe in humanity in the world,” Modi said. In a rare show of unity, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor walked up to the Treasury Bench and sat with External Affairs Minister to draft the resolution to be adopted by the House.
“It seems that the lesson that there should be no compromise with terrorists has not been learnt. The Lok Sabha calls upon the Pakistan government to proceed strongly with its declared intention to appeal the bail judgment, and requests the government to ensure that on no account is such an individual permitted to be released,” the resolution stated.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Lok Sabha: “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Mumbai terror attack conspiracy was planned, financed, and trained for in Pakistan. Ninety-nine per cent of the evidences are available in Pakistan itself, and it is the duty of Pakistan’s investigative authorities, who have had six years to collect and present the evidence required, to secure a conviction.”
MPs across party lines unanimously condemned Pakistan’s persistent reluctance to speed up the 26/11 trial and the laxity of the prosecution lawyers leading to the grant of bail to Lakhvi.
New Delhi also rejected Islamabad’s argument that India could not provide Pakistan sufficient evidence either to get Lakhvi convicted for his alleged role in planning and coordinating the November 26-28, 2008, carnage in Mumbai, or to successfully contest his plea for bail.
Earlier in the day, BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and several other MPs insisted on suspension of Question Hour for an immediate discussion on the issue. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, however, said that she would allow them to speak on the issue during Zero Hour.