New Delhi: While opposition parties in India are going hammer and tongs at the BJP led NDA government over Pakistan PM Imran Khan's claim of better chances of peace talks if Narendra Modi led BJP returns to power at the centre, distinguished fellow and Observer Research Foundation's vice-president Gautam Chikermane discarded it by calling it Pakistan's bluff.
mran's remark on PM Modi is nothing more than a bluff Talking exclusively to ETV Bharat, the veteran journalist claimed, "Had I not been on camera, I would have laughed on this. You don't take Pakistan's leadership seriously."
Describing Pakistan as a strange state, the distinguished fellow questioned its democratic credentials. He said, 'which leadership we need to take seriously that's the question. The civilian leadership? Or the army leadership? Or the terror leadership. We don't even know whom to approach?'
Subtly declaring Imran Khan as Pak army's puppet, Chikermane claimed, "Pakistan democracy has been hijacked by the support of the army and that's how Imran Khan has been elected. And, the real decision rests with army particularly on terror in India."
Speaking further on the upward shift of issues like national security and foreign policy in the manifesto of both the BJP and Congress, the ORF Vice President claimed, "post-Pulwama and Balakot, issues like terrorism and national security have caught nation's consciousness. So, it's natural that these issues will rise up in the national expectations from political parties."
