New Delhi, July 16: The BJP today regretted that Home Secretary G K Pillai was not defended by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna when he was openly castigated by Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for his remarks that the ISI had coordinated Mumbai terror attacks.The Congress on its part described as ridiculous any attempt by Pakistan to equate Pillais remarks with Jamaat-ud-Dawah(JuD) chief Hafiz Saeeds anti-India hate speeches.

The Foreign Minister of Pakistan chose to attack Indias Home Secretary. I regret he was not defended there by Indias Foreign Minister, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said, a day after Qureshis unexpected attack on Pillai at a joint news conference with Krishna after their talks in Islamabad. Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, The Home Secretary was simply making a statement of fact about what Indias stand has been, It is only Indias stand. I dont think there is any basis for comparison ofstatements by Hafiz Saeed or Salahuddin with the Home Secretary.

That would be ridiculous.Singhvi also noted that Krishna has not confirmed Qureshis remarks that both the ministers were of the opinion that Pillais comments on ISIs role in 26/11 were uncalled for.Prasad while offering his preliminary comments on the outcome of the Indo-Pak talks said Qureshi was making an issue out of Pillais statement which was nothing but a statement of LeT operative and Pakistani-American David Headley about the role of ISI in Mumbai attack. Headley has confessed to his involvement in 26/11 and is currently in FBI custody in Chicago in the  US.

They have no reply or content but they are comparing it (Pillais remarks) with Hafiz Saeed without taking any action, Prasad said.Qureshi when asked at the joint press conference last night at the end of the talks why Saeed was not being reined in by Pakistan from making anti-India speeches shot back: I agree that both sides need to create an enabling environment and not let the climate of engagement be vitiated by negative propaganda.

But, I want to know to what extend did the Indian Home Secretarys statement on the eve of this dialogue help? We both(minisers) are of the opinion that it (Pillais remarks) was uncalled for.Qureshis criticism was noteworthy as it was in response to a question on the anti-Indian rhetoric of Saeed and he cited Pillais comments as a counter. Krishnas silence when Pillai was attacked by the Pakistani minister has raised eyebrows.Pillai had early this week blamed Pakistans powerful Inter Services Intelligence(ISI) agency for controlling and coordinating the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 from the beginning to the end.
-PTI