BJP slams Congress, says Pak ranks worse than India in US travel advisories for its citizens

New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) The BJP said on Tuesday that Pakistan ranks worse than India in the US travel advisory for its citizens, as it hit out at the Congress for claiming that the US has chosen to caution them on visiting India but not the neighbouring country.

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said the US's updated travel advisories have put Pakistan and Bangladesh at "Level 3", meaning its citizens should reconsider travelling to the these countries.

India is at "Level 2", meaning US citizens should exercise increased caution. While the advisories for Pakistan and Bangladesh were updated in March and April respectively, the one for India was issued a few days ago.

Malviya said, "So contrary to the Congress' bizarre claim, Pakistan is ranked worse than India in the advisory. Shame on the Congress for peddling lies and acting like apologists for Pakistan. This is not Opposition politics-this is betrayal." The Congress is once again defending Pakistan and proving that Rahul Gandhi is less the leader of Opposition and more the Leader of Pakistan, he alleged.

The Congress earlier claimed that the travel advisory "maligns" India and demanded that the government should register its protest as well as take a stern view of this at the highest level.

The opposition party also claimed that the Narendra Modi government's foreign policy has completely "fallen flat".

The US issued the advisory for its citizens travelling to India, urging "increased caution" due to crime and rape, and advising them not to travel to certain parts of central and eastern parts of the country due to terrorism.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said at a press conference, "However, nothing of this kind of advisory has been issued for Pakistan, which is a terror country, housing terrorists such as Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim, etc., they are being provided protection by Pakistan." A March 7 dated advisory on the US State Department website said, "Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict." PTI KR ZMN