PoK belongs to India, will take it back: Amit Shah

Prayagraj, May 19: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Sunday asserted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India and emphatically said, “We will take it back”. Shah made these remarks while addressing an election rally in Prayagraj to seek votes for BJP candidate Neeraj Tripathi.

“Farooq Abdullah and Mani Shankar Aiyar say give respect to Pakistan because it has atom bomb… Rahul Baba, today from the sacred land of Prayagraj, I will say this PoK is ours, will remain ours, and we will take it back,” Shah said referring to Aiyar’s “atom bomb remark” that has ignited a political storm.

In a viral video clip circulating on social media, Aiyar was heard saying that India should respect Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and possesses the atomic bomb.

Aiyar has since clarified that the video is old and has been resurfaced by the BJP as its election campaign faces challenges.

The Congress party has distanced itself from Aiyar’s comments, stating they disagree with the remarks made months ago.

Shah also claimed that the opposition alliance has been decimated in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“Four phases of polling have been completed. In these four phases, the ‘INDI alliance’ has been wiped out and Modi ji is rapidly moving towards crossing 400 (Lok Sabha seats),” he said.

The key contest in Allahabad is between BJP’s Neeraj Tripathi, son of former Governor of West Bengal and Speaker of UP Legislative Assembly Keshari Nath Tripathi, and Ujjwal Ram Singh, son of former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Reoti Raman Singh.

Polling in the Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled for the sixth phase of the ongoing elections on May 25.