BJP President Amit Shah addressing a press conference at the Karnataka BJP headquarters (Press Trust of India photo)
BJP President Amit Shah today said that under the Narendra Modi-led NDA regime, security forces have been retaliating strongly to ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the border and will continue to take similar action in the future.
"After BJP formed the government, Indian forces have been giving fitting reply whenever there have been ceasefire violations and will continue to do so in future," he told reporters.
Mr Shah, who was in Bengaluru to attend the BJP's core committee meeting, was responding to a question on increased ceasefire violations by Pakistan which fired on several posts of the Border Security Force in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting strong retaliation by India.
On the issue of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said all options were open for the BJP and hoped that a decision would be taken soon.
"All options are open for BJP in Jammu & Kashmir. We are looking at all possibilities to form government. I am hoping that a decision will come in this regard anytime," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the second largest party bagging 25 seats in the 87-member Assembly behind the Peoples Democratic Party PDP which won 28 seats, has sought more time from Governor NN Vohra as it is reportedly preparing to hold talks with the latter.
When a reporter pointed to former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's recent tweet that there was no deal with the BJP, Mr Shah said "Do you believe that Omar Abdullah will reveal all truth to you?... even I cannot tell about it."
Asked about the opposition's charge that the CBI's image had taken a hit after a special court in Mumbai discharged him in the case involving the fake encounter of a gangster -Sohrabuddin Sheikh - and his wife and his friend almost a decade ago, Mr Shah said the verdict was given by the court which does not come under the ambit of the government.
"The clean chit was given by the court, and courts do not come under the government's purview. It works under the supervision of the Supreme Court. I wouldn't like to comment any more on the issue, my party and my lawyer will speak on it," he said.
On the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's controversial 'ghar wapsi' (homecoming) programme, the BJP chief urged all the "so-called secular parties" to support the BJP's proposal for a law to "stop forceful conversions".