'PoK Will Merge With India On Its Own': Union Minister VK Singh Says 'Wait For Some Time'

During a press briefing in Rajasthan, Union Minister and former Army chief Gen (Retd) VK Singh said that PoK will merge with India "on its own", and asked reporters to just "wait for some time".

Union Minister Gen (Retd) VK Singh.

Source : PTI

Union Minister Gen (Retd) VK Singh has said that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will merge with India on its own after some time. He was responding to the demand of PoK residents to merge with India after BJP's during a Parivartan Sankalp Yatra (PSY) programme in Rajasthan's Dausa. Sharing his party's stand on the same, he said: "PoK will merge with India on its own, wait for some time". This comes days after China released a 'standard map' showing claim over the regions in Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin.

India had registered a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 "standard map", External Affairs Ministry's Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said.

#WATCH | Dausa, Rajasthan | "PoK will merge with India on its own, wait for some time," says Union Minister Gen VK Singh (Retd.) when asked that people in PoK have demanded that they be merged with India. (11.09.2023) pic.twitter.com/xG2qy7hXEm

— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2023

 

'China Has Reached Manipur, Sing Trying To Diver Attention From China'

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP reacted to Singh's remarks and said that they have also dreamt of 'Akhand Bharat' adding that the former Army chief should have tried to make PoK a part of India during his tenure.

"...We have always dreamed that there be an 'Akhand Bharat'. We always say that PoK is ours. But when the former Army chief was holding the post, he should have tried then to make it ours. How can you do it now?" Raut asked.

#WATCH | Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, "...We have always dreamed that there be an 'Akhand Bharat'. We always say that PoK is ours. But when the former Army chief was holding the post, he should have tried then to make it ours. How can you do it now? We will welcome it… https://t.co/Z2pwSKB2tI pic.twitter.com/yAsiuuJPGz

— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2023

"We will welcome it if any effort is made towards that but before that, make Manipur peaceful. China has reached Manipur. Rahul Gandhi says that China has entered Ladakh and has taken our land, parts of Arunachal Pradesh are being shown by China on its map - end this first. After that PoK will merge with India on its own, you are not required for that to happen," he added.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called the statement an attempt to "divert attention from China", claiming that the neighbouring country has taken over a large territory in India.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Union Minister General VK Singh's (Retd.) statement on PoK, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says, "VK Singh is trying to divert the attention from China. It is a fact that China has taken over a large area of the Indian Territory... According to a report, 26… https://t.co/Z2pwSKB2tI pic.twitter.com/xY2q1vi03M

— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2023

"... According to a report, 26 out of 66 positions, where the Indian Army used to patrol, are now inaccessible to them. General Singh should speak about that first," the AAP leader said.