Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, stated in Jammu on Monday that Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) is, was, and will always be a part of India. By continuing to assert its claim to PoK, the Pakistani government is going to achieve nothing while addressing at a security conclave at the University of Jammu.
Rajnath Singh, the Indian defence minister, warned Pakistan that his country is becoming more strong and that, if necessary, it may strike both sides of the border.
“India is not the same as it was used to be. It is getting more powerful. If needed, India can hit on this side of the border and can go across the border as well,” the defence minister said.
He claimed that the country has taken significant action against terrorism under the Modi government and referenced the surgical strikes conducted across the border in 2016 and the Balakot airstrike in 2019.
He emphasized that illegal occupation of the PoK does not make locus standi of Pakistan. “A unanimous resolution has been passed in the Parliament of India regarding PoK that it is a part of India only. Not one but at least three proposals of this intention have now been passed in the Parliament,” Singh said.
“A large part of Jammu and Kashmir is under the occupation of Pakistan. People on other side are seeing that people are living their lives peacefully in J-K. People living in POK going through a lot of suffering and they will raise demand to go with India,” Singh said.
Speaking on the abrogation of Article 370 in J-K, he said that BJP abrogated the article and did justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who were been unfairly treated for decades.
“Because of Article 370 and 35A, the common people of Jammu and Kashmir were kept away from the mainstream of the country for a long time, it was a hindrance in taking action against any anti-national force,” he said.
He further said that the general public is happy with the decision of abrogation of Article 370.
“The trouble is only for those whose shop of hatred and separatism is getting closed,” Singh said.
“We have managed to stop the funding of terrorism, stopped the supply of weapons and drugs and along with the elimination of terrorists, the work of dismantling the network of underground workers working here is also going on,” he added.
He further said that the Joint Statement issued by Prime Minister Modi with US President Joe Biden has made it clear that India has changed the mindset of the whole world including America on the issue of terrorism.
“The countries that use terrorism as a state policy have to understand very well that this game is not going to last long, today most of the big countries of the world are united against terrorism,” he said.
The minister also said that despite perception differences with China, there are some agreements and protocols following which the armies of both countries patrol at borders.
Singh said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government started effective action against terrorism and for the first time not only the country but the world came to know what is the meaning of Zero Tolerance against Terrorism.
“AFSPA has been removed from large parts of North East as we have successfully controlled the problem of insurgency in North East India. I am waiting for the day when there will be Permanent Peace in J-K and there will be a chance to remove AFSPA from here too,” he said.
