Venkaiah Naidu hits back at Congress for attacking Modi's speech

NEW DELHI: Hitting back at Congress for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today said the opposition party should condemn Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir instead of the PM's "inspiring" and "comprehensive" address.

Naidu lauded Modi's 93 minutes speech at Red Fort, terming it "great, inspiring and comprehensive" which "gives hope" to the youth.

It is unfortunate that our Congress friends are quick in condemning PM's speech rather than condemning Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir.

Great, inspiring and comprehensive speech by the PM. Gives all the hope to our young generation," Information and Broadcasting Minister Naidu said in tweets.

Great, inspiring and comprehensive speech by the PM. Gives all the hope to our young generation.

— M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) August 15, 2016

In a scathing attack, Congress accused Modi of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.

It is unfortunate tht our Congress friends r quick in condemning PM's speech rather than condemning Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir

— M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) August 15, 2016

"PoK is our right, our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK," Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

In his address on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

In provocative remarks, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had yesterday said that the country was dedicating its independence day to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

Terming as "absurd" Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India had yesterday strongly retorted that it, along with others in the region, has already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.