Mumbai: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday demanded the government launch a decisive battle to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), asserting diplomatic efforts have not yielded results and the territory must be brought back under Indian control.
The veteran politician from Maharashtra, who heads the Republican Party of India (Athawale), a BJP ally, praised the Modi government’s swift retaliation after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam town of Kashmir in which 26 persons, most of them tourists, were killed.
Speaking at the Bharat Jindabad Yatra organised by his party in Mumbai, Athawale said, “A proposal has been sent to Pakistan to return PoK to us. If it refuses to do so, there should be a decisive battle against Pakistan. It is our firm demand to get it (PoK) back.”
“Like the BJP and the Congress, the RPI (Athawale) has decided to hold Bharat Jindabad Yatra across Maharashtra, where we will give slogans like Pakistan murdabad, bring back PoK, and condemn terrorism. My party will organise the yatra in other parts of the country also,” he informed.
The Minister of State for Social Justice hailed the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’, under which Indian armed forces targeted terror hubs in PoK and deep inside Pakistan on May 7.
“The way Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam and the Indian government retaliated by killing more than 100 terrorists proves our strength. The hideouts of terrorists were destroyed in Operation Sindoor,” he said.
Athawale expressed optimism about India’s chances of reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “I believe PoK will soon be with India,” he asserted.
On a separate note, when asked about the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra, the Union minister demanded 15 seats for his party in the Mumbai civic body.
“The RPI (Athawale) should get some seats to contest in the upcoming civic body elections, ZP (Zilla Parishad) and other local bodies. We demand at least 15 seats to contest and the deputy mayor post for RPI (Athawale) in the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) elections,” he added.
