Rajnath Singh urges PoK residents to join India, cites Pak lawyer's affidavit: ‘We consider you…’
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said unlike Pakistan, India considers the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as their own and urged them to join India.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday urged residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to join India, saying they are considered "our own" unlike in Pakistan, where they are treated as "foreigners."
During an election rally in the Ramban constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath Singh appealed to the people to support the BJP to bring about further development in J&K, suggesting that this progress would be so evident that the people of PoK would prefer to join India.
"Support the BJP to form the next government in J-K so that we can facilitate massive development in the region. There will be so much development that the people in PoK on seeing this should say that we do not want to live with Pakistan and instead will go to India," the defence minister said.
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Singh referred to a recent affidavit filed by Pakistan’s additional solicitor general which stated that PoK was foreign territory.
"I want to tell PoK residents that Pakistan considers you foreigners, but the people in India do not consider you so. We consider you our own and so come and join us," he said.
The senior BJP leader came down heavily on the National Conference-Congress alliance over its poll promise of restoring Article 370 and said it is impossible as long as the BJP is there.
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Singh also accused them of fearmongering over the abrogation of Article 370.
"We did it boldly and nothing had happened".
Election in Jammu and Kashmir
The defence minister's election rally in support of BJP candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur followed Union home minister Amit Shah visit to the region, where he unveiled the BJP's election manifesto and met with party leaders.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.
There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.