War never a solution to any issue, says Raj Thackeray

Mumbai: Under fire for his comments indicating that Pulwama terror attack was stage managed,  Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday said that war could never be the solution to any issue. Reacting to the India-Pakistan conflict, he said that war will be damaging  for the nation and take it back on all levels.

Mr Thackeray was under fire on social media when he indicated that the Pulwama attack could be a conspiracy by the Modi government and said that NSA Ajit Doval should be interrogated to know the “truth” behind the Pulwama attack.

Addressing a public rally at Kolhapur, Mr Thackeray last Sunday alleged that the martyrs (CRPF jawans) of the Pulwama attacks were political victims.

He also demanded that a thorough probe of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval be conducted to bring out the reality behind the attack.

In letter on Thursday, he said that Pakistan PM Imran Khan had offered dialogue to resolve all issues including the Pulwama attack.

Similar efforts had been made by former Prime Minister Mr Vajpayee and former Pakistan chief Pervez Musharraf during their regimes. Vajpayee had started a bus service Sada-e-Sarhad for Lahore and the Samjhauta Express. However, the dialogue had not reached its conclusion.

The letter further stated that if Pakistan immediately freed the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and ordered a ceasefire, only then it could be said that Mr Khan’s intentions were pure and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not drop Pakistan PM’s offer for talks.