JAMMU: The shrinking distance between Delhi and Srinagar was in focus once again on Tuesday, when defence minister Rajnath Singh lauded J&K CM Omar Abdullah for helping Modi govt in its efforts to bridge “dil ki doori” (distance of hearts) with the people of Kashmir.
This came a day after the bonhomie on display between PM Narendra Modi and the J&K CM during the opening ofSonamarg tunnel, with Omar’s glowing praise of Modi standing in sharp contrast to his stinging comments on INDIA bloc, of which his party National Conference is a constituent, a few days ago.
The defence minister’s remarks affirmed the growing cordiality and cooperation between NDA govt at the Centre and NC govt in J&K. Addressing the ninth Armed Forces Veterans’ Day rally at Tanda Artillery Brigade in Jammu’s Akhnoor sector, he said Kashmir was treated differently by previous govts, as a result of which “our brothers and sisters in the region could not get connected with Delhi”.
“I do not want to go into the past. Our govt’s biggest achievement is that we have been working to bridge ‘dil ki doori’ between Kashmir and the rest of the country,” Rajnath asserted, and congratulated Omar “for taking the right steps to help overcome the little bit of gap (which is still there)”. He reiterated the Modi govt’s unwavering resolve to bridge this gap, and termed the abrogation of Article 370 as a crucial step in this direction.
Reaffirming India’s position on PoK , the minister said: “J&K is incomplete without PoK. For Pakistan, PoK is nothing more than foreign territory.” The neighbouring country was using PoK territory to sponsor terrorism in India, running training camps and launch pads for terrorists there, he said.
Pakistan had been promoting illegal infiltration and terrorism since 1965, and continued to do so, despite the people of J&K consistently refusing to support its nefarious designs, Rajnath said, appreciating the sacrifices made by the Muslim community in the fight against terrorism. Rajnath highlighted how individuals like Mohammed Usman had laid down their lives to protect India’s sovereignty.
The situation on ground had significantly improved since the abrogation of Article 370, he asserted, and faulted Congress for its failure to do this earlier, although he did not name any individual. “The terrorism would have ended in 1965 only had the then govt not turned the strategic advantages gained on the battlefield into disadvantages,” he said.
“2025 is the diamond jubilee year of the 1965 India-Pakistan war, and India’s victory was the result of the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces,” the defence minister said, expressing gratitude to the soldiers, both retired and serving, for their selfless service towards protecting the borders. with unmatched bravery, dedication and patriotism.
Singh also described the Veterans’ Day celebrations at Akhnoor as a testament to the fact that J&K has been, is and will always remain an integral part of India.
(With inputs from agencies)
