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Updated: Apr 23, 2019 09:08 IST

Pakistan on Monday took exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about India’s nuclear capability, terming them “highly unfortunate” and said such nuclear brinksmanship should be discouraged.

Pointing out that Modi referred to the night of February 27 and missile-related threat from India as “qatal ki raat (the night of murder)”, a foreign office (FO) statement said, “It clearly contradicts the position of Indian officials, who had tried to give an impression that there were no such plans of India and instead had blamed Pakistan for ‘whipping up war hysteria’.” It added, “Such nuclear brinksmanship needs to be discouraged.”

Following the air strike at Balakot terror camp in Pakistan on February 26, there was a dogfight between Indian and Pakistani fighter planes on February 27 in which IAF wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by the neighbouring country and released on the night of March 1. Addressing a poll rally at Patan in Gujarat on Sunday, Modi said after Varthaman was caught, India “warned Pakistan that if anything happened to our pilot, you will keep telling the world what Modi did to you”.

The Congress and regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir too hit out at Modi for his remark that India’s nuclear arsenal is not for Diwali, calling it “boastful” and “irresponsible”. Modi made the remark at a rally in Rajasthan on Sunday while asserting that India is no more afraid of Pakistan’s nuclear threats.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh criticised Modi’s remark as “irresponsible”. “PM Narendra Modi’s election speeches and irresponsible statements point to the growing desperation in the BJP,” Sharma tweeted. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti hit out at Modi for bringing nuclear bombs in the political discourse, saying if India has not kept the nuclear bomb for Diwali, Pakistan has not kept it for Eid. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said threat of nuclear annihilation was not a ‘PUBG’ game where one can hit the reset button to restore normal life.