KABUL, April 12 (News Agencies) - Afghanistan's Taliban militia Thursday hit back at Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee after he described them as a "threat" to regional stability.
The Taliban foreign ministry said Vajpayee's comments in a speech to the Iranian parliament Wednesday were aimed at diverting world attention away from the "conspiracies" he was hatching with other "certain countries to destabilize the region."
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [the Taliban authorities] ... condemns such statements by the Indian prime minister and Iranian authorities as a continuation of their flagrant interference in its home affairs," it said.
Vajpayee's words showed Tehran and New Delhi were jointly orchestrating anti-Taliban resistance, it said.
The Islamic militia, which controls most of Afghanistan, accuses Russia, India and Iran of backing opposition forces led by former defense minister Ahmad Shah Masood.
Vajpayee, who is on a four-day visit to Iran, said the Taliban had "lost their sense" and had become a threat to the stability of the region.
He denounced the Sunni Muslim militia for the destruction of two ancient Buddhas last month that brought them worldwide condemnation.
"Terrorism and an ambiguous ideology have unfortunately taken hold in our region, and led to a tragedy with the destruction of the historic heritage of mankind," he said in the address.
"We cannot pardon this crime ... they have become a great threat."
The Taliban cited the destruction of the historic Babri mosque in India in 1992 by Hindu fanatics as a retort to Vajpayee's concerns over the demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas.
The militia accused the Indian government of pursuing policies of religious intolerance.
"A living and horrible example of this policy can also be cited in the Kashmir Valley," it said, referring to Indian rule in the Muslim majority Himalayan state where a separatist rebellion has raged since 1989.
