Coming down heavily on Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah's remarks related to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is committed to taking back PoK and a nuclear power with 130 crore population will never be scared of anyone.
In an interview with ANI, Shah also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over Farooq Abdullah's remarks on Pakistan and said he should explain what his alliance partner is saying.
"PoK is a part of India, nobody can deny this. Farooq Abdullah says, 'Pakistan has atom bombs, give them respect and don't demand PoK'. I would like to ask him, why will a nuclear power with a 130 crore population - Bharat - be scared of someone and give up its right? What kind of thought is this? Rahul Baba should explain to the country what are their alliance leaders saying, respect Pakistan? Give up PoK?.. Never," he said. "BJP believes that PoK is ours, and we will definitely take it back..." Shah added.
Farooq Abdullah, while responding to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remark that PoK will be merged with India, had said that Pakistan can also threaten with atom bombs. Asked about steps being taken for merging PoK with India, the Home Minister said the steps are taken at the right time after seeing the situation of the country and the world.
"Such steps are taken at the right time after looking at the state of the country and the world. But we have decided on a goal," he said. Answering a query on protests in PoK, Amit Shah said: “There is mismanagement, it is their subject...but Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours because the entire Kashmir has merged with the Indian Union. How to take that right is India's question...”
Intense protests and violence, which continued for several days, led to the death of three people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced a Pakistan currency (PKR) 23 billion subsidy package for the people of PoJK in view of the protests. (ANI)
