New Delhi:Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday continued his tough talk vis a vis Pakistan stating that should bilateral talks happen, it would not be about Jammu and Kashmir, but on Pakistan Administered Kashmir, the territory under Pakistan’s control since it invaded the region in 1947.
Speaking at a rally in Haryana, where assembly elections are due soon, Singh said: “If talks are held with Pakistan, it will now be on PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir),” according to news reports. India and Pakistan both claim Jammu and Kashmir in its entirety but administer it in parts.
The defence minister’s comment came two days after he said India reserves the right to revoke its ‘no first use’ policy, the cornerstone of India’s nuclear weapons policy for decades. In response to Singh’s comment on a rethink of its nuclear no first use policy, Pakistan on Saturday said it stood ready to repulse any attack from India and also described Kashmir as a “nuclear flash point”.
Singh on Sunday underscored the point. “Our neighbour is knocking on the doors of the international community, saying India made a mistake,” he said. “If at all there has to be any talks with Pakistan they will only happen when it stops aiding and abetting terrorism,” he said, while noting that people in Pakistan want a dialogue between India and Pakistan.
This is not an election stunt but a commitment. “We never compromised with the dignity of nation. There were two constitutions but we abrogated Article 370 without any hitch… BJP’s politics is not limited to forming the government but to empower the nation.
“Now it (Pakistan) is knocking on every door and approaching various countries seeking help,” Singh said according to news reports. “However, the world’s most powerful country, America, has snubbed Pakistan and asked it to go back and initiate a dialogue with India,” he said.
Rajnath Singh said this is not an election stunt but a commitment. “We never compromised with the dignity of nation. There were two constitutions but we abrogated Article 370 without any hitch… BJP’s politics is not limited to forming the government but to empower the nation… Modi government is committed to the overall development of the nation and to the welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir…We don’t want to divide the society between Hindus and Muslims, all are brothers,” he said.