Fill vacant J-K Assembly, Council seats that are allocated to PoK: RSS

The Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Government of India to fill the vacant seats in the state's Assembly and Council that have been allocated to the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) constituency so that Islamabad's claim of the territory stands null and void.

"The PoK has been given 24 Assembly seats and six seats in the Council within Jammu and Kashmir. I urge everyone, from Farooq Abdullah to (Chief Minster) Mehbooba, to fill those seats. The fact that even after 70 years, these seats have been lying vacant means that the PoK does not belong to Pakistan," senior RSS pracharak and national executive member Indresh Kumar told ANI.

He also hit out at National Conference leader and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah for suggesting that Kashmir issue can be resolved if India approaches third party countries like America and China.

"Abdullah is a politician whom should not be considered seriously," he said.

Kumar said his statements stands in contradiction to Congress wherein former prime minister Indira Gandhi had ruled out third party intervention in Kashmir.

Adbullah on July 21 said India has so many allies across the globe, which can be approached for settling the Kashmir issue to act as a mediator between India and Pakistan.

"For how long are you going to wait? Sometimes, you have to pull the bull by its horns. The way is to have a dialogue. India has so many friends all across the world. They can ask them to act as a mediator. U.S. President Trump himself said that he wants to settle Kashmir problem. China also said that it wants to mediate in Kashmir. Somebody has to be approached," Abdullah said.