Pakistan will have to desist from its design in Jammu and Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said Pakistan will have to desist from its "mischievous activities" in Jammu and Kashmir.

India wants good relations with all countries especially with its neighbours because friends can be changed not neighbours, Singh said. "But Pakistan does not understand this and continues with its design in Jammu and Kashmir."

"Atalji went to Pakistan because he wanted good ties with it. But strangely our neighbour does not desist from its mischievous activities in Jammu and Kashmir. However, I can assure you it will have to," Singh said at a party rally in Uttarkashi, referring to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit.


"It wants to keep the question of Jammu and Kashmir alive," he said.

Singh said by demolishing terror camps on Pakistan territory through surgical and airstrikes, Indian troops gave a message to the entire world that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi it was a strong India capable of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan even on its own turf.

Describing the BJP as a party that does not compromise on its ideology, the Union minister said under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee the Jana Sangh in 1951 promised to abolish article 370.

"We came to power and we have done it. When we promised to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress did not believe it. Isn't a grand Ram temple being built in Ayodhya today?" Singh said.

"The BJP does what it says," Singh said.