Reiterating India’s categorial stand on PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said that it will always remain India’s and that the time has come to remove Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu & Kashmir.
“PoK was, is and will always remain an integral part of India.
“Be assured that the people of Pakistan will themselves demand that they be with India.
You must have seen that there were a few demonstrations there since they want to merge with India.
After the abrogation of Article 370, normalcy has returned to Kashmir and development has been fast-tracked,” he said in an interview to Network 18 aired on Friday.
Time has come to remove AFSPA from Jammu & Kashmir and the Ministry of Home Affairs will take a call, he added.
On April 4, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also stood clear that India’s position on PoK is of the entire nation and not just one party.
“On the issue of PoK, there is a national position and not the party’s position.
The Parliament of India has taken a united stand and every political party in the country has supported that stand.
We will never accept that the PoK is not a part of India.
It’s a united stand, it remains our stand,” Jaishankar said addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
Responding to a Guardian report which claimed that the Indian government was allegedly behind the killings of almost 20 individuals in Pakistan, Singh said if needed, India will enter Pakistan and strike.
“If any terrorist will try to disturb India from Pakistan, we will give muh tod jawab. If needed, Pakistan mein ghus ke marenge,” the defence minister said.
Rajnath Singh also shed light on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and affirmed that no person will lose their citizenship on implementation of the act.
“Opposition has tried to mislead people on CAA, no one’s citizenship will go due to CAA, they have a dearth of issues and they do not have such agenda items to assure the public that if their government is formed, they will do this.
And it is also a sign of distrust among the public about all those political parties. People do not even trust their words,” Singh said.
Speaking on the allegations made by Opposition on targeted actions taken by federal agencies including Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against them, the 72-year-old leader said that these are false and baseless.
“Should a government not make efforts to root out corruption? Courts are not giving relief to the accused.
Opposition allegations are baseless, and the agencies doing their work. We want to root out corruption.
Opposition should look inward at why such action is happening,” Singh stated.
Amid Delhi CM Kejriwal being in judicial custody till April 15 in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, there has been an uproar alleging the BJP-ruled Centre misusing agencies.
The ED has accused the AAP leader of being involved in the “entire conspiracy of Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting from the quid pro, receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of proceeds of crime generated out out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for Goa Assembly elections.”
Singh further questioned that if agencies have wrongly arrested anyone, why are they not getting any relief from courts.
The veteran leader reiterated that the BJP will win 370 seats and NDA will cross 400.
