Mend ways or fall apart, Rajnath warns Pak

Sumedha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Pataudi, October 13

Reminding Pakistan of its fragmentation and creation of Bangladesh in 1971, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today asked the neighbouring country to mend its ways. He was in Pataudi to seek support for BJP candidate Satya Prakash Jaravata. He attacked Pakistan for raising the pitch on Kashmir and defending terrorism at international fora.

“With sternness but utter politeness, I suggest that Pakistan changes its mindset and pulls its act together or in no time Pakistan, which was divided into two parts earlier, will end up being a cluster of fragments. Kashmir is ours. So stop jabbering about it,” said Rajnath amid a roaring applause. Calling Rafale the government’s biggest strength, he advised Pakistan: “Change your stance on terrorism and accept brotherhood. Now, we won’t have to carry out a surgical strike. Sitting in our land, we will bust your terror factories.” 

Calling CM Manohar Lal Khattar a “saint in poiltics”, he said people could question Khattar’s policies but not his intent. He called zero tolerance to corruption as the CM’s biggest strength. “Khattar occupied the chair not as a ruler, but a seer. Politics is about delivering what you owe to the people. I am here to seek votes for Khattar because I have complete faith in his ability to deliver,” he said. The rally apparently gave a boost to local candidate Jaravata, who has been fighting internal resistance, with Rajnath describing him as Khattar’s shadow. 

“I have met him for the first time but am bowled over by his humble demeanour,” Rajnath told the cheering crowd.  

Referring to India getting the Rafale jets, he said, “We don’t have to enter their (Pakistan’s) territory to wipe out terrorists, now sitting here in India we can do ‘Jai Shri Ram’.” But, he reiterated, the fighters were meant only for self-defence and not for aggression.

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