Jammu: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday held a rally in Ramban assembly constituency ahead of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Speaking in support of BJP candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur, Rajnath Singh urged residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to consider becoming part of India.
“We consider you our own, while Pakistan considers you foreigners,” he said. Rajnath Singh emphasised India’s willingness to welcome them.
‘We’re ready to talk to Pakistan if…’: Rajnath Singh
During his speech, Rajnath Singh also spoke about the possibility of talks with Pakistan. He said that India is ready to engage if Pakistan stops supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “If Pakistan stops supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, then we are ready for talks,” he said.
Lashing out at the National Conference-Congress alliance for promising to restore Article 370, Rajnath Singh called the idea impossible as long as the BJP remains in power. He highlighted the significant changes in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, mentioning that the youth now have “laptops and computers instead of pistols and revolvers.”
He urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to support the BJP in the elections, promising extensive development in the region if the party wins. “There will be so much development that people of PoK will see it and say that we do not want to live in Pakistan, we will go to India,” Rajnath Singh said.
His comments about PoK came after Pakistan’s Additional Solicitor General filed an affidavit labelling PoK as “foreign land.” Rajnath Singh responded by reaffirming India’s stance. “Pakistan is considering you as foreigners, but people in India do not consider you like that. We consider you as our own, so come and be a part of us.”
Rajnath Singh is star campaigner for BJP in Jammu and Kashmir
The Defence Minister is serving as a star campaigner for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. His rally followed a two-day visit by Home Minister Amit Shah, who released the party’s election manifesto and held several meetings with senior party leaders. Shah also addressed a workers’ rally and held a rally in Banihal.
In Ramban seat, BJP candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur faces competition from National Conference’s Arjun Singh Raju and party rebel Suraj Singh Parihar. Meanwhile, in Banihal, BJP’s candidate is up against Vikar Rasool Wani, a former state Congress president and minister who aims to win the seat for a third time. National Conference’s Sajjad Shaheen and People’s Democratic Party’s Imtiaz Gandhi are also contesting in Banihal.
