Who is the real Narendra Modi? The one that reached out to Islamabad in the first flush of his election victory, inviting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his oath-taking, and exchanging shawls and sarees with him for their mothers? Or the one that on Tuesday sneered that Pakistan "has lost the ability to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war of terrorism'? What Prime Minister Modi said is not factually wrong. Even in Pakistan there is acknowledgement that the ISI unleashed militant groups against India.

But if the intention of the Modi government is to engage a problematic neighbour in talks, as conveyed by the decision only weeks ago to resume official-level dialogue, making deliberately provocative statements is not a good way to kick off.

Read more