Union Home Minister Amit Shah intensified the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election campaign in West Bengal’s Howrah, reiterating the party’s firm resolve to reclaim Pakistan-Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and expressing unwavering determination despite opposition from Pakistan.
Addressing the gathering on Wednesday, Shah emphasized the territorial claim over PoJK, stating, “Isn’t Pak-occupied Kashmir ours? Mani Shankar Aiyar and Farooq Abdullah used to scare us by saying that Pakistan has an atom bomb so we should not speak about Pak-occupied Kashmir. Rahul baba, Mamata didi, no matter how scared you are, Pak-occupied Kashmir is ours and we will take it back.”
Drawing comparisons between the Indian and Pakistan-administered parts of Kashmir, Shah highlighted the transformation brought about by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He noted the absence of protests and disturbances in the Indian side of Kashmir, contrasting it with the unrest prevalent in PoJK.
Shah also lauded the surge in tourism activities in the Union Territory of Kashmir, attributing it to the government’s policies and initiatives. He remarked, “Two crore tourists came to Kashmir and created a new record and Pak-occupied Kashmir created a record in rate of selling wheat to the people.”
Reflecting on the historic decision to abrogate Article 370, Shah criticized opposition parties, including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and the Congress, for opposing the move. He emphasized that the BJP government, under PM Modi’s leadership, successfully integrated Kashmir into the rest of India, debunking fears of unrest propagated by the opposition.
Meanwhile, in PoJK, violent protests erupted, accompanied by a shutter-down strike, which lasted for four days. The unrest subsided following Islamabad’s announcement of a PKR 23 billion grant to address demands for fair electricity pricing and subsidized wheat flour. Prime Minister Shehbaz announced the subsidy package during a high-level meeting convened to address the turmoil in the valley. The protests resulted in casualties, leaving at least three people dead and several others injured.
The exchange of political rhetoric and the volatile situation in PoJK underscore the complexities surrounding the Kashmir issue, with both India and Pakistan maintaining competing claims over the region.
