Warning Pakistan not to repeat the “mistakes of 1965 and 1971”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the neighbouring country could get broken into various parts due to flagrant human rights violations against the Baloch and the Pashtun.
On the government’s decision to revoke Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, he said the constitutional provision was like a “canker” that bled the State, and asserted that a majority of the population in the State supported the move.
Addressing a ‘Jan Jagran Sabha’ (public awareness meeting) organised by the BJP, where leaders spoke on the decision to strip the State of its special status, Mr. Singh said his party had lived up to its promises.
“As a nationalist party, the BJP never softened its stand on the issue. Article 370 was like nasoor (canker0, which left J&K bleeding. We have now demonstrated that we are an honest and credible party, which fulfils its promises,” he said.
Mr Singh blamed Article 370, and Article 35A, which arose out of it, for Jammu and Kashmir being in the throes of terrorism. “J&K will now be transformed within five years. In fact, more than three-fourths of its population wanted this provision to go. Our intentions were good and it is no surprise that our move was supported wholeheartedly by our alliance partners.”
Cautioning Pakistan against promoting cross-border terrorism, in the wake of the recent developments in Kashmir, the Defence Minister said, “Talks with Pakistan will henceforth resume only after it stops promoting terrorism. And it must also keep in mind that J&K is an integral part of India. All discussions will only take place about Pak-occupied Kashmir.”
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