Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that had Pakistan remained friendly with India, the South Asian nation would have received a far larger bailout package than what it has sought from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Addressing an election meeting in Gurez, under the district of Bandipora, Singh asserted the developmental credibility of India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, vis-à-vis the dependence on Pakistani rule on the diaspora funds.
Mr. Rajnath Singh pointed out that the package unveiled by the current PM Narendra Modi for Jammu and Kashmir in 2014-15 has now crossed ₹ 90000 crore which is a lot more than the money Pakistan has demanded from the IMF. He invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s vision of diplomacy, quoting him: ”It will not be possible to change neighbors but people can switch friends.”
Lifting his voice directly to Pakistan, Singh said, “My Pakistani friends, why should we have such a hostile relationship?” We are neighbours. if our relation where good, India would have given more money than the IMF. He highlighted the fact that while India allocates funds for the revival of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been embezzling money It has been using its so called financial aid purely to promote terrorism for several decades.
Singh said Pakistan has ‘a terror factory’ being financed through money from the international community, while India promotes its regions for the purpose of stability and prosperity. He stressed that it will again be “heaven on earth” in the state when the vision of ‘Insaniyat (humanity), Jamhooriat (democracy) and Kashmiriat (Kashmiri ethos)’ conceptualized by Vajpayee will be realized.
Continuing his criticism of Pakistan, Singh said it was angry since the Indian government revoked Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that despite India’s efforts to pursue Pakistan to stop terror activities, Islamabad did not budge. Nevertheless, Singh threatened that India is not helpless and, if attacked, can respond, and if needed, enter the territory of Pakistan.
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