New Delhi:

India today blasted Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto over his offensive personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it a “new low even for Pakistan”.

“Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. No other country can boast having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities!” the government said in a statement firmly condemning the Pakistan Foreign Minister.

“We wish that Pakistan Foreign Minister would have listened more sincerely yesterday at the UN Security Council to the testimony of Ms. Anjali Kulthe, a Mumbai nurse who saved the lives of 20 pregnant women from the bullets of the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab. Clearly, the Foreign Minister was more interested in whitewashing Pakistan’s role. Pakistan FM’s frustration would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their State policy. Pakistan needs to change its own mindset or remain a pariah,” said the government.

Union ministers also condemned the comments, calling Bilawal Bhutto “mentally bankrupt and irresponsible”.

“The language used by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan shows that not only does he represent a bankrupt country, he is also mentally bankrupt,” said Meenakshi Lekhi, the junior Foreign Minister.

In a highly objectionable comment, Bilawal Bhutto had said: “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives.” He was reacting to India calling Pakistan the “epicentre of terrorism”.

“Responsibility does not come from one’s post, responsibility is a part of one’s character. Many people talk responsibly without any post and many talk irresponsibly despite holding posts,” the minister said.

“He is the representative of a failed state and is himself failed, so Pakistan is also failed. What can you expect from those who have a terror mindset?”

Anurag Thakur, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, called the comments “shameful”.

“Maybe they (Pakistan) still feels the pain of 1971. His grandfather (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former Pakistan President) wept when they lost,” Anurag Thakur told reporters.

“Pakisan’s soil has been used to groom, shield and protect terrorism. Their nefarious plans have been exposed to the world,” Mr Thakur said.