A day after signaling a possible change in India’s ‘no first use’ policy of nuclear weapons, defence minister Rajnath Singh said that talks with Pakistan will now be only on PoK. While the statement reasserts the govt’s stated position that the whole of J&K is an integral part of India, the statement is considered to be a bold warning to Pakistan who continues knocking the doors seeking support on J&K issue.
“If talks are held with Pakistan, it will now be on Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK),” Rajnath Singh said in a public address after flagging off of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Haryana’s Panchkula. While referring the abrogation of Article 370 that gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said that Article 370 was abrogated in J&K for its ‘development’.
“Our neighbour is knocking doors of the international community and saying India has made a mistake. Talks with Pakistan will be held only if it stops supporting terror. If talks are held with Pakistan, it will now be on PoK,” the defence minister said.
“A few days ago, prime minister of Pakistan said that India is planning to take an action bigger than Balakot. It means that Pakistan PM acknowledges what India did in Balakot,” Rajnath said at the rally. The Yatra, being held in the run upto Haryana’s upcoming Assembly elections, will pass through the state’s 90 assembly seats and conclude with a rally in Rohtak on September 8.
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