PTI
JAMMU, MAY 27
Sending a clear message to Pakistan to stop meddling in India's affairs, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the neighbouring country must stop its nefarious activities if it wants its "own welfare". "If Pakistan wants its own welfare, then it must stop meddling in the affairs of other countries. It must stop all its nefarious activities aimed towards India," he said addressing a Jan Kalyan Parv in Jammu.
Giving a strong warning to those who want to harm India's pride, integrity and sovereignty, he said that the country would give a befitting reply to such people.
"Those who want to harm the pride, integrity and sovereignty of the country will be given a befitting reply. We trust our army, our paramilitary and our forces. No question can be raised on their integrity and love for the country," he said.
Singh said India always extended a hand of friendship towards its neighbouring countries including Pakistan, but Pakistan always resorted to backstabbing.
"Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan, but it stabbed in the back. Then when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the office a year ago, he invited all the heads of the state of the neighbouring countries to the swearing-in ceremony including the Pakistan Prime Minister," he said.
He said that Pakistan must think over its actions as it has not been reciprocating the positive response of India towards it.
He said the government had given open orders to the armed forces especially the BSF to respond with all its might to any aggression from across the border.
"In October last year, Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation. I saw on television that five of our citizens have died. I asked the Director General, BSF, to make sure that we are not the first to open fire. But if we are fired at from across the border, then Pakistani side must get a befitting reply with full might," he said.
Singh said that it was the response from the Indian side that Pakistan was forced to go to the United Nations to request it to intervene and ask India to stop firing on them. He said that India strongly believes that every country in the world must progress and India believes in living in communal harmony.
"There are 72 sects in Islam and there is no other country in the world except India where all of them live together. The first church in the world was constructed in Kerala some 2000 years ago. The Parsi community got so much of respect in this country and Jews say that India was the only country in the world where they were not persecuted," he said.
‘Won’t tolerate those raising pro-pak slogans’
Offering a soft stand to those who wish to hold dialogue to discuss all "vexed issues", the Centre today sent a strong message to separatists saying, those raising pro-Pak slogans and waving Pakistani flags on Indian territory will be dealt with severely. "We are ready to talk to everyone. Democracy is all about keeping open the communication lines, but we won't tolerate anybody raising pro-Pak slogans and raising Pakistani flags on Indian territory. They will be severely dealt with," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the Jan Kalyan Parv function in Jammu.
Singh said the state government has been asked to take strong action against people who raise pro-Pakistan slogans and wave Pakistani flag. "The Jammu and Kashmir government has been acting on this direction." The Home Minister said he feels pained to see the youth of the state, especially of Kashmir, being misguided.
"It pains me to see the youth being misguided. When some misguided youth raise pro-Pak slogans and wave Pakistan flags, it is not a good thing. I appeal to such youths not to get misguided. We need everybody's cooperation to move forward, to take this country forward," he said.
He said it was against the tenets of Islam and every other religion to praise another country while living in one. "It goes against the tenets of Islam or even against the tenets of Hinduism to praise another country while living in one country. Islam and even Hinduism do not accept this," he said.
He said the BJP wants the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir to succeed as the alliance was formed on the agenda of development of the state.
"In Jammu and Kashmir, we want the alliance between the PDP and BJP to succeed. While Mufti Mohammed Sayeed is heading the government, our side is represented by Dr Nirmal Singh and other able ministers," he said.
He said the aim of the coalition is to bring development in the state and that he was aware of the problems being faced by the people of the state.
"We are aware of the problems being faced by the people of the state, be it that of Kashmiri Pandit community, or that of the refugees from West Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, or that of the migrants from border areas," he said, adding that Centre was considering these problems and was working to resolve them soon. On the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit community, "We have kept provisions in the budget for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri pandit community to the Valley and the Chief Minister has said that he will identify the land for their rehabilitation and the proposal will begin soon," he said.
