Int'l bodies must take note of human rights violations in PoK: Rajnath

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that international bodies should take cognisance of human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Addressing an election rally in Odisha's Khurda, he said, "Human rights are being violated in PoK... international human rights agencies should take cognisance of the happenings in PoK."

He claimed that the people of PoK now desire to join India instead of remaining under the Pakistani administration.

"I had earlier said we need not attack anyone, they will come on their own. Two days ago, I saw a video in which people of PoK were seen uprooting a Pakistani flag-post," he said.

"PoK is and will remain an integral part of India," he asserted.

He said that barring a few stray incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism has been reduced to zero under the NDA rule, while several terror attacks took place under the previous UPA regime.

"In 2008, our IPS officers fell to bullets in Mumbai (26/11 attack)... what was the then Congress government doing? But now, nobody dares to attack India. People have understood India's capability of eliminating terrorism not only within the country but also across the border," he asserted.

"However, we have never attacked any country or tried to occupy an inch of any other country's land. But Pakistan has all along tried to create disturbances in our country," he said.

Singh also addressed two other rallies in Rairakhol in Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat and Patana in Keonjhar parliamentary constituency.
 

He alleged that Congress is misleading people by making promises of reservation on the basis of religion which is not permissible according to the Constitution.

"Earlier, the Supreme Court had rejected such reservations accorded in two universities," he said.

Stating that the Modi government has ended 'triple talaq', he asserted that the BJP does not indulge in politics for votes but for building the nation.

Singh alleged that Odisha remained backward during the 50-year-rule of Congress and 24-year-rule of BJD.

"From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all failed to eradicate poverty from the country. But PM Modi pulled 25 crore people out from poverty," he claimed.

Singh said Modi provided pucca houses, piped water to households, free cooking gas, foodgrains, toilets and many other facilities to the poor people of the country.

"With Ram Lalla coming to his temple, Ram Rajya will be established in India," he asserted.

He came down heavily on the BJD government for not implementing Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Odisha and promised that the initiative will be implemented if the BJP comes to power in the state.

Singh blamed the BJD government for the missing keys of Ratna Bhandar or treasury of Lord Jagannath.

"The BJP will open Lord Jagannath's Ratna Bhandar in Puri temple after it forms government in Odisha," he said.