Rajnath Singh said Pakistan “continuously tries to create havoc and destabilise India.” (Express Photo/Praveen Jain)
Addressing poll-bound Tripura on Saturday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Indian forces have been directed to fire countless bullets while retaliating to even one Pakistani bullet. “I have given standing orders to our forces to shoot limitless bullets to retaliate a single fire on our territory by the Pakistani forces,” the Home Minister said at a election rally at Barjala, Agartala.
Singh said that though India was interested in maintaining peaceful relations with the neighbouring nation, it was Pakistan which tried to disintegrate India. “As our neighbour, we do not want to attack on Pakistan first. We want to live with peace and harmony with our all neighbours. But, most unfortunately Pakistan is trying to tear down Jammu and Kashmir and continue attacks on our forces and Indian territory,” he was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
Reiterating that Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral part of the Indian territory, Singh said: “Our neighbouring country, Pakistan, continuously tries to create havoc and destabilise India. It continues to engage in nefarious activities in Kashmir.
“Kisi ne maa ka doodh nahi piya jo Kashmir ko Bharat se alag kar de. Kashmir hamara tha, hai aur rahega (There is no one who can separate Kashmir from India, Kashmir was, is and will remain ours).”
Singh’s comments come at a time when Kashmir has seen an increase in ceasefire violation from the other side of the border. Last week too, Singh hit out at Pakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement with India, saying Islamabad should not misinterpret India’s “decency”.
“India is no more a weak country. India has now become a powerful country,” Singh said and added that Pakistan, being a neighbour, should have a friendly attitude towards India.
While making a pitch for the BJP in Tripura on Saturday, the Home Minister also hit out at the Left Front government. He said that during its 25-year uninterrupted rule, the Left Front did nothing for the development and economic prosperity of Tripura or tackle the state’s poverty and unemployment. Singh added that only BJP can develop the country and the northeastern states including Tripura.
“During CPI-M’s 35 years rule in West Bengal, they ruined that state, and if the Left parties after the February 18 assembly polls are allowed to rule Tripura further, they would destroy the future of the state and its people,” he said. “BJP and its allies are now ruling 19 states in India. Why so many states are under BJP and its allies’ governance? Because people of these states trust BJP and people sincerely believe that only BJP can remove their poverty and provide jobs to the youth.”
The Home Minister also promised that Tripura’s natural resources would make the state number one in India if the BJP came to power. “You have given scope to the Left parties in Tripura many times, give scope to BJP once this time to rule for genuine development of the state with all-round growth of all sections of people,” he said.