Talks with Pak only if it stops patronising terrorism: Rajnath Singh

Kalka: Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) will be on top of the agenda if talks are held with Pakistan in future, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, adding that dialogue will only be held if the neighboring nation stops supporting terror.

"Why should there be talks? On what issues there would be talks? Talks with Pakistan would begin only after it stops patronising terrorism. If talks begin, it would now only be on the PoK and no other issue," he said.

The senior BJP leader was addressing a rally here ahead of flagging off "Jan Aashirvaad Yatra" of the Haryana BJP under the leadership of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by a Pakistan-based terror group, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Slamming Pakistan for its efforts to internationalise the issue of Kashmir after New Delhi scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's special status by revoking Article 370, Singh said the neighbouring country was knocking doors of the international community to save itself.

"We have a neighbour. You people know who is it. We removed Article 370 and it is thinning down. It is not able to digest and is knocking the doors of the world seeking help to save itself. It is crying before them and saying please save me," Singh said without naming Pakistan.

Mentioning United States' response in the United Nations, Singh said the most powerful country's President refused to help Pakistan, saying it should talk to India.

"Hato, hato... Bharat se baat kariye... Yahan aane ki jaroorat nahi hai (back off... talk to India... no need to come here," Singh said referring to Trump's response to Pakistan.

Since Imran Khan came to power, he has urged for a dialogue with India on various occasions. However, with the government's decision to burry Article 370, Islamabad has now refused to propose a peace solution through dialogue.

Alleging that Pakistan was trying to break and destabilise India with its acts like Pulwama, Singh said the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been giving a befitting reply to all its nefarious actions.

He said the Pakistan which was denying any Indian action in Balakot, has now back-tracked with Prime Minister Imran Khan himself saying that India was planning to take a bigger action than Balakot.

"It means that Pakistani Prime Minister has acknowledged what India did in Balakot and the terrorists killed in a big number," he said.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.

Singh said, the BJP was committed to its election manifesto and it was fulfilling all that was promised.

"Our Prime Minister took the decision and Article 370 was removed despite people saying if anyone would touch it, India will get divided," he said maintaining that the BJP was in politics not to form governments but to save the country.

He also slammed the apprehensions that there would be riots in the country if any government tries to touch Article 370.

"We don't do divisive politics. Those who practice it want to grab power for vote bank politics," he said, adding that now the two Union Territories Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh would taste the fruits of development along with the other parts of the country.

Pakistan has strongly condemned New Delhi's move on Kashmir. While Pakistan has been trying to amass international attention on the issue, India has called it an "internal matter."