China has dual standards on terrorism: Sena on Lakhvi case

Mumbai: Shiv Sena accused China of adopting "double standards" in dealing with terrorism after it blocked India's move in the UN demanding action against Pakistan over release of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, on Thursday.

"The (UN) sanctions committee has five permanent and 10 non-permanent UN member states in it. Out of these, almost all countries, including the US, Britain, Russia, France and Germany supported India's stand, but China opposed it.

"On one hand, China brutally crushes terrorism in its state and on the other hand supports the perpetrators of terrorism in India. This is China's double standards," the Sena said in its editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Sena said 13 Muslims were recently hanged in China's Xinjiang province for engaging in terrorist attacks and in the past as well hundreds of Muslims have been killed in that country.

"China's ideology seems to be eliminating terrorism from its country but letting terrorist activities flourish in India," the Sena said.

China's call of Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai (Indians and Chinese are brothers) in 1960 has proved to be a farce time and again in the aftermath, it said.

"China supplied atom bombs, missiles, and nuclear reactors to Pakistan to help the country have an edge over India. Except its army, all of Pakistan's ammunition is provided by China," the editorial said.

Stressing that China can never be India's friend, Sena said, "What more proof does one need to prove this?..What had to happen in the UN Sanctions meet has happened. But, India needs to be very careful with China in future."

At the UN sanctions committee meeting, the Chinese representatives blocked the move demanding action against Pakistan over Lakhvi's release on grounds that India did not provide sufficient information.

In the wake of the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself taken up the issue with the Chinese leadership. A Pakistani court had on April 9 set free Lakhvi, a development which India said "eroded" the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to it by Pakistan on cross-border terrorism.