Befitting reply will be given to any terror threat, says Rajnath Singh

Lucknow: Dismissing threats of outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said "no one has the power to ruin India" and that a fitting reply will be given to any terror strike in the country.

"No one has the power to ruin India," Rajnath told reporters in reply to a question on the Saeed's recent outburst in Pakistan. He was in Benti village of Mohanlalganj parliamentary constituency to attend a function. Singh has adopted the village under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna.

Asked whether Intelligence Bureau has issued an alert after a series of terror attacks in Kashmir, he said,"agencies are doing their job. A befitting reply will be given to terror attack." Saeed yesterday told his supporters in Lahore that Pakistanis should come forward and help the Kashmiris in getting "freedom" from India.

"If India can send troops to Afghanistan to help the US then Mujahideen have every right to go to Kashmir and help their brethren. Kashmiris are clamouring for help and it is our duty to respond to their call," he said addressing a JuD congregation at historical Minar-e-Pakistan ground.

When asked about the decision of Hashim Ansari, one of the oldest petitioner in Ayodhya dispute, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the issue, Rajnath said,"I don't have much information regarding this. If it is so his (Hashim) initiative is welcome."

Earlier, the Union Minister, on his maiden visit to Benti, inaugurated a new branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce and also opened an account in it. Addressing the function he termed village a basic unit for development and elaborated his plan for Benti.

"This is my first visit. The programme has become very formal. Next time I will sit with you and have a detailed interaction," he said. Rajnath said that he decided to adopt village in neighbouring constituency as he could not find one in Lucknow as per the norms set under the scheme. He said that he has adopted the village as a family and has confidence that the people would adopt in a same manner.