Jammu: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that Pakistan has started feeling deep pain and anguish after witnessing the festival of democracy (holding of elections and turnout of voters) in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a BJP poll campaign rally in Poonch, Rajnath Singh said: “After seeing the great festival of democracy being celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has started feeling deep pain and anguish. We don’t want to have bad relations with Pakistan. We want to have friendly relations with all our neighbours. But, Pakistan has internal problems and to divert attention from their internal problems, Pakistan continues to do unholy acts against India.

“Pakistani defence minister said recently that the National Conference (NC) and Congress will get back Article 370. What right does Pakistan have to comment on our democratic process? There was 61 per cent voting in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir elections. This has happened after decades.”

The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the world has been watching everything, while realising that India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 was justified and is in the interest of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I salute the people of Jammu and Kashmir for raising the flag of democracy so high that the world is clearly seeing it. I have been in politics for a long time. For 35 years, I have either been an MLA or in the Parliament. I can assure you if you elect BJP candidate, Abdul Ghani Choudhary from this assembly constituency, he will give a powerful voice to you and help solve your problems, ” he said.

The Union Minister further said that “today, many members of our Sikh community have joined the BJP”.

“I can say with pride that whenever there was a challenge to the sovereignty of the country, our Sikh brothers have defended the pride and glory of India, ” he said.

Criticising the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rajnath Singh said: “These NC and PDP leaders are telling you that they will restore Article 370. They don’t have the power to restore Article 370. They are throwing dust into your eyes. I believe that politics should be clean and such that you can look into the eyes of the people and say what you have to say.

“Refugees came here from West Pakistan, many of them were Muslims. NC, PDP and Congress governments did not give them the right to vote, they deprived the Valmiki Samaj people also of their right to vote. I want to make it clear that we would not allow Article 370 to be restored. Jammu and Kashmir has suffered heavily due to Article 370. Almost 80 per cent of the people killed in terrorism have been our Muslim brothers.

“When Article 370 was there, the Constitution of the country did not apply to Jammu and Kashmir in letter and spirit. Today, the Constitution of the country applies to Jammu and Kashmir in letter and spirit. Nobody can now stop us from unfurling the Tricolour in Lal Chowk, ” the Defence Minister said.

Urging the voters to support the BJP, the Defence Minister further said: “You elect our government in Jammu and Kashmir, and we promise to make it the most developed state of the country. When the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir look at the changes in Jammu and Kashmir, and the rest of the country, they say we want to join Jammu and Kashmir. We always welcome them, we never think of whether they are Muslims or of any other religion.

“To divide people on these lines is the work of NC, PDP and Congress. These politicians belonging to three families have destroyed Jammu and Kashmir. However, I have seen strong love and affection for Jammu and Kashmir in the heart of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He will never allow Jammu and Kashmir to be destroyed.

“Late-former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once stressed ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat’ but the politicians of these three families always think about ‘politics, politics and politics’, ” Rajnath Singh said.

The Defence Minister concluded his speech with an appeal for strong support of the BJP candidates in the Assembly elections.