Mumbai: Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, whose party had backed the NDA government’s move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has now said that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) will be completely assimilated in India by 2022.
Speaking to media Mr Raut said, “‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly told Trump (Donald) that Kashmir is our internal matter...have you seen the body language of Imran Khan?...India has taken the entire Kashmir into its full control...After the abrogation of Article 370, the PoK will be part of India very soon.. Pakistan has now started admitting it...We will fulfill the dream of Akhand Bharat by 2022.
Recently, Union minister Jitendra Singh had made similar claims.
Mr Singh had said that after abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, Centre’s next move would be to make PoK a part of India.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has strongly supported government’s decision to revoke Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union territories.
Mr Raut, an influential Rajya Sabha member of the Shiv Sena, had then said, “PoK and Balochistan were next.”
“Today, Jammu and Kashmir have been taken; tomorrow, Balochistan and PoK will be taken. I have faith that the Prime Minister (Modi) will fulfill the dreams of Akhand Hindustan,” Mr Raut had said.
After the Centre’s Kashmir move, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had said that India had become “independent” in the true sense with the decisions on Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am happy that such a big dream has come true. Today, our country has become fully independent,” Thackeray had told reporters at his residence.
He even asked the opposition parties to “leave aside their political shoes” and support the sovereignty of India.
The Sena chief further said countries like the US “need not poke their nose into our issues”.
“The Jammu and Kashmir issue is India’s internal matter. We no more want to hear Pakistan-occupied territory, now its time to occupy Pakistan itself,” Thackeray said.
