Pak calls PoK residents foreigners, we call them our citizens, says Rajnath Singh

Jammu: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that the Pakistan government has called the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as ‘foreigners’ while India considers them as its own citizens.

Addressing an election rally of the BJP in Ramban district of Jammu division, Rajnath Singh referred to the BJP-PDP coalition government and said, “During Mehbooba-led government, we withdrew cases against minors and those who were innocent. But the problem was that the PDP was sympathetic to separatists. I would always tell her to bring the ground situation under control, but she couldn’t. People of J&K are free citizens of India and they have a right to peace and prosperity.

“In contrast to this, in a recent affidavit, the solicitor general of Pakistan has called the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as ‘foreigners’. We don’t call them foreigners. They are our people. Let them come and join us. After a government is formed in J&K, the people of PoK will want to come and join India,” he asserted. He strongly criticised former J&K chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice president, Omar Abdullah for saying Afzal Guru should not have been hanged.

“Omar Abdullah has said Afzal Guru should not have been hanged. I want to ask him did he want Afzal Guru to be garlanded?” Singh queried.

The Union minister said he has come for the first time to Ramban, but the people have given him a warm welcome. “I greet all of you. After 10 years, Assembly elections are being held in J&K. Entire country is watching the outcome of this election. I was in America recently and the Indian diaspora there asked me what would happen in these elections. I told them BJP will form the govt in J&K,” he claimed.

“While coming here, I asked Dr Jitendra Singh about the ground situation and he told me that such a conducive political atmosphere in favour of BJP is far greater than his expectations. In the past, whenever, 2, 6 or 10 per cent voting would take place in Kashmir it would become a big news. 58 per cent voting took place in Lok Sabha elections and in Ladakh it went to 72 per cent,” he added.

“First time, there was an election here which was held without fear and without any partisan consideration. This is a great change for us. The people of J&K are hard-working and talented. If BJP rules J&K for the next 10 years, J&K will be the most prosperous place in India,” Rajnath Singh opined.

“Since Modiji took over as the Prime Minister, our economy has grown from 11th place to become the 5th largest economy in the World. Independent economic surveys and media reports now accept that in 2027 India would be 3rd largest in size after US and China,” he claimed.

“Give an opportunity to BJP to form the government here and we will change the face of this place in 10 years. We have already changed the ground situation in the last 10 years. Even Tazia (Muharram) procession was not allowed in Kashmir and we made this procession take place,” the Union minister said.

“Nobody has the guts today to fire a pistol or hurl a stone at Lal Chowk. Countries need a strong-willed PM and we are fortunate to have one in Modiji. In J&K women were deprived of their rights. We will ensure that West Pakistan refugees, Safaikaramcharis, Valmiki Samaj and others will vote in the Assembly elections. We ensured OBC reservations in Panchayats and urban bodies,” he further claimed.

“PM Modi abrogated article 370 and nobody rose against this. NC manifesto says they will restore 370. Nobody can restore 370 now. For the first time, a G-20 meeting was held in Kashmir Valley. This is called governance. Kashmir was called a terrorism spot, but now it is called a tourism spot,” he said.

He referred to developments in the last 10 years and said that the Muharram procession, railway link, Rs 38000 core worth developmental works, reducing the travel time from Jammu to Srinagar from 14 to 4 hours, 40,000 recruitments in last 5 years.

“Not a single stone pelting incident since 2022. Those youth who had pistols in their hands had rave tablets and laptops. We abrogated 370, if Congress has guts, let them get it back. As long as the BJP is there, no power on earth can bring 370 back,” he asserted.

He also referred to the Parliamentary delegation that went to meet hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani on September 4, 2016. “I was part of the Parliamentary delegation and I told members that the Hurriyat is allergic to the BJP, but if they wanted to go to meet the Hurriyat, they could. When they went to their door, the Hurriyat people shut their door on them,” Rajnath recalled.

He referred to the manifesto and the promises made in that. He said incomplete border fencing will be completed, two free gas cylinders will be provided to families of weaker sections, students of remote areas higher secondary schools will be given free tablets and laptops, Jammu will have a riverfront on Tawi, Ramban and Banihal will have tourist destination areas. Jammu and Srinagar will get Metro services and migrant Kashmiri Pandits will be brought back to the Kashmir Valley with safety and honour. In the end, he appealed to voters to elect BJP candidate, Rakesh Gupta with a huge majority.

J&K will go to the polls in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1 while counting will take place on October 8.