Jammu, Dec 21 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday warned Pakistan not to view India’s peace efforts as a sign of its weakness.
Pakistan has “failed to halt the use of its soil by terrorists”, Gandhi told an election rally in Dablehar, about 30 km west of Jammu, adding that India was “quite competent” to respond to terrorist attacks.
Addressing a rally for the seventh and final phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Gandhi said that India wanted to resolve its disputes with Pakistan through dialogue.
“But our yearning for peace should not be taken for weakness,” she said, adding that “terrorism continues to spring out of our neighbourhood”.
“If it is not checked, we have the capacity to give a befitting reply,” she declared to loud cheer.
The Congress president said that those accusing her party of allegedly being soft on terror should answer why they could not tame terrorism when they ruled India.
Gandhi listed the achievements of her party in Jammu and Kashmir during its almost three-year rule, which ended after coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew its legislative support in July this year.
She said that the Congress, if voted to power, would step up the developmental process in the state.