PoK is ours and we will take it: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday declared that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of India and asserted that "we will take it." Speaking at a rally in Amb, Una district, he criticised the Congress for attempting to "frighten" the BJP by highlighting Pakistan’s possession of atomic bombs.

Addressing a crowd in the heartland of soldiers, Shah appealed to the electorate to ensure the BJP's victory in the upcoming bypolls for six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, currently governed by the Congress. He emphasised that only a strong government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi can effectively combat terrorism, drive economic growth, and support the poor.

“The Congress is trying to frighten us by saying that Pakistan has an atom bomb,” Shah said, supporting Union minister Anurag Thakur, the BJP candidate for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. “Today, I speak from Himachal that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) hamara hai, hamara rahega aur hum ise lekar rahenge (PoK is ours and it will remain ours. We will take it)."

Shah claimed that PM Modi has already secured 310 seats in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha elections and that the sixth and seventh phases would help the NDA achieve its target of "400-paar" (400-plus seats). He predicted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be limited to just 40 seats.

Referring to the implementation of 'one rank, one pension' by the Modi government, Shah criticised the Congress for not addressing the ex-servicemen's demands. He noted that Modi accepted these demands and disbursed Rs 1.25 lakh crore to pensioners.

Praising Anurag Thakur, Shah lauded his achievements, including the Rs 10,000-crore Kiratpur-Ner Chowk four-lane project, the Rs 1,200-crore Hamirpur-Dharampur Highway, the Rs 1,000-crore Bilaspur-Leh railway line, the Rs 2,000-crore bulk drug park, and Rs 1,500 crore for AIIMS in Himachal Pradesh.

Shah confidently stated that two governments would be formed—one at the Centre and the other in Himachal Pradesh—following the election results on June 4. He added, with a jab at Rahul Gandhi, that according to his information, "Rahul Baba would go to Bangkok on June 6 for relaxation."

Shah concluded by highlighting the clean governance under PM Modi, noting that while there were scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore during the UPA regime, there have been no corruption allegations against Modi, which he said is why the nation wants a third term for him.