Govt's next agenda should be getting back PoK: Swamy in RS

After scrapping of Article 370, the government's next agenda should be to get back the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Rajya Sabha nominated member Subramanian Swamy said on Monday.

Supporting the resolution on removal of Article 370 -- that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir -- moved in the Upper House, Swamy also said that now there is nothing to mediate in the Kashmir issue for the US President Donald Trump except for him to tell Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to return the land taken illegally from India.

"Return of the territory in the possession of Pakistan is the next agenda item for us. I hope the decisiveness with which Prime Minister and Home Minister have taken this step, will take the next step also when we are ready to recover the land as per the resolution of this Parliament," he said.

Swamy said during the time of Narasimha Rao government, Parliament had unanimously passed a resolution to take back the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Asserting that other elements were taking advantage as long as Article 370 was in place, he said, "in fact certain elements were encouraged recently by the fact that Imran Khan met the US President and the US president mistakenly said he is willing to mediate."
Stating that the Modi government is proceeding on the basis of law, Swamy said, "Bringing a resolution was additional recognition that this should be informed to Parliament. Hence on this basis, I say removal of A370 was overdue and A370 headline is a temporary provision."