NEW DELHI: When Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan invited the Saarc delegates to lunch on Thursday but drove away without playing the host, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh too drove off. That’s what Mr Singh told parliament on Friday.

“It is true that Pakistan Interior Minister invited everyone for lunch. But then he left in his car. I also left. I have no complaints or grudges as I had not gone there to have lunch,” Mr Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, in his formal speech at the Saarc ministers’ meeting, Mr Singh had thanked the Pakistani hosts for their warm hospitality.

Opposition parties rally behind govt over ‘mistreatment of minister in Islamabad’

However, as often happens on such India-Pakistan occasions, MPs from opposition parties appeared to be swayed by TV channels that screamed all day that Mr Singh’s speech was blacked out by Pakistan. Mr Singh who was better aware, chose to keep his denial to a barely audible level, leaving enough scope for everyone to jump around about his alleged mistreatment.

“But as far as the reported blacking out of my speech is concerned, I am not aware of protocol norms followed during previous events,” he claimed to the house.

“I will have to speak to the ministry of external affairs on that. I won’t comment if Pakistan was right or wrong in not allowing the coverage,” he said.

However, the Press Trust of India had clarified on Thursday — quoting an unnamed source, possibly the Indian foreign ministry — that Saarc speeches, other than the opening remarks, by convention were not open to the media.

The home minister returned on Thursday after a two-day visit, which was clouded by demonstrations of bitterness from both sides, reports said.

They said Mr Singh and the Pakistani interior minister did not even greet each other with a proper handshake as their hands barely touched.

Mr Singh told Rajya Sabha that the Indian media accompanying him was not allowed in during his speech.

In his critique of Pakistan’s larger point about the ferment in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Singh said: “All our PMs have done their best to improve relations with our neighbours but yeh padosi hai ki maanta hi nahin hai (this neighbour never listens).”

Mr Singh said that at the Saarc meeting of home ministers, India took a strong stand against terror and urged all members that “there is a need to take strongest action not just against terrorists but also those who support terrorism”.

He described Pakistan as the “biggest violator of human rights” — a response to his Pakistani counterpart’s allegations of rights violations in Kashmir.

According to local media reports, opposition parties rallied behind the government and condemned Pakistan for “the way the home minister was treated” and what they called a “blackout” of his speech. Mr Singh’s statement was not broadcast by Pakistani media but India’s foreign ministry has denied that it was a blackout.

“The home minister did not receive respect and honour due to him in Pakistan during his visit as per protocol; we condemn it,” said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“I strongly condemn how Pakistan didn’t maintain protocol and treated our home minister, the entire nation stands united,” Janata Dal United leader Sharad Yadav said.

The home minister replied: “It is true that reporters who had come from India were not allowed to enter.”

Amid cries of “shame” from the house, he continued: “I will not comment whether Pakistan was right or wrong in not allowing coverage. I did not register any protest there. I will need to ask the foreign ministry about protocol of past occasions.”

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016