Ready for talks with Pakistan if it stops aiding terrorism: Rajnath Singh
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India was ready to hold talks with Pakistan if it stops supporting terrorism.
“Pakistan should do one thing - stop supporting terrorism. Who would not like to improve relations with neighbouring countries?” Singh said during a poll rally in Banihal of the Jammu region on Sunday.
“You can change a friend, but not your neighbour. We want to build better relationships with Pakistan, but first of all it should stop terrorism,” Singh said.
Lashing out at the Congress, NC and the PDP, Singh said: “The three parties have looted J&K and were eating it like termites”.
Earlier while addressing another poll rally, Singh urged people of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) to come and join India, as Pakistan considers “you foreigners.”
“Support us to form a government in J&K so that we can facilitate development here. After witnessing the development, people in PoK will say we do not want to stay with Pakistan, instead go with India,” Singh while addressing a poll rally in Ramban constituency of the Jammu region.
The Defense Minister said recently the additional solicitor general submitted an affidavit in the court stating that PoK was a foreign land.
“I want to tell PoK people that Pakistan considers you foreigners, but the people in India do not consider you foreigners. We consider you our own. So, come and join us,” he said.
Talking about the NC poll manifesto promising restoration of Article 370, he said no one had the courage to restore Article 370. Singh said earlier several youth in the Valley used to carry revolvers and pistols. “Go and see the change today…instead of guns, you will see laptops and computers in their hands,” he said.
He also criticised NC vice-president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his remarks on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
“I heard that Omar Abdullah said Afzal Guru should not have been hanged,” he said. “I want to ask Omar Abdullah, should Afzal Guru have been garlanded publicly?
