'Come and join us': Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tells PoK residents to leave Pakistan for India

India's Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to join India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was addressing a public rally in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir where he said PoK will soon become a part of India.

The union territory goes to polls later this month and BJP has employed its top brass for the canvassing trail.

“Once our government is formed in Jammu and Kashmir, we will carry out development that will make the people of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) want to become part of India,” said Singh.

"Support the BJP to form the next government in J&K so that we can facilitate massive development in the region.There will be so much development that the people in PoK on seeing this should say that we do not want to live with Pakistan and instead will go to India," he added.

"I want to tell PoK residents that Pakistan is considering you foreigner but the people in India do not consider you as such. We consider you as our own and so come and join us."

Singh also slammed the National Conference-Congress alliance for their poll promise of restoring Article 370. Singh said as long as the BJP is in power, such a reversal will remain impossible.

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No trade with Pakistan: Shah

Singh's statement comes a couple of days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah ruled out talks with Pakistan, saying that “talks and terror can’t go together”.

“No question of trade with Pakistan till terrorism is there. We will talk to the youth of Kashmir not Pakistan unless the country stops terrorism.”

Shah has previously stated in the Indian Parliament that the Narendra Modi government was prepared to sacrifice itself for PoK.

"Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of Union of India. Kashmir ki seema mein PoK bhi aata hai...Jaan de denge iske liye! (POK also falls under the boundaries of Kashmir. We will sacrifice our lives for it.)," said Shah in 2019.

Era of dialogue with Pakistan....

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a similar stance earlier this month when quizzed about the approach of theNarendra Modi government in dealing with Pakistan.

"The era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences," said Jaishankar.

"So far as J&K is concerned, Article 370 is done. So, the issue is what kind of relationship we can contemplate with Pakistan...What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react," he added.

India has laid several preconditions for resumption of talks, one of which includes Pakistan not using 'terrorism' as a legitimate tool for diplomacy.

(With inputs from agencies)