New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS): Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) marks the biggest failure of the Nehru government and the foreign policy of the late Prime Minister. He added that the annexed Indian territory could be reclaimed only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
The sharp remarks on the Nehru regime by the Minister of State (MoS) in the PMO came at the POJK Resolution Day event, organised by Jammu and Kashmir People's Forum and Mirpur POJK Sacrifice Committee at the Indian Society of International Law Auditorium.
The Union Minister, strongly criticising the Nehru government’s policies, said that the nation was paying the price for mistakes committed during his tenure. He also termed 1947 Partition as the biggest blunder in the country’s history and claimed that this was done to fulfil the ambitions of Pandit Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Dr Singh said that Pandit Nehru considered himself the greatest messiah of peace and this led him to make not just one but multiple mistakes, the consequences of which the entire nation is suffering today.
“When the Indian Army had reached Mirpur and was liberating Indian territory, a ceasefire was suddenly declared, leading to the creation of the POJK issue. By taking this matter to the United Nations, Nehru committed a historical blunder, which is why India has not been able to reclaim its land to this day,” the Union Minister emphasised.
Singh further asserted that POJK, Pakistan Occupied Territories of Ladakh (POTL), and China Occupied Territories of Ladakh (COTL) are integral parts of India and will always remain so. He stated that the Modi government is committed to reclaiming POJK, and this will happen only under PM Modi’s leadership.
He further pointed out that Article 370’s abrogation was once considered impossible, but the Modi government made it a reality.
Similarly, the government is fully prepared to reclaim POJK. He reaffirmed that the BJP has dedicated three generations to this cause and remains steadfast in achieving this goal.
India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also attended the event, said that POJK’s return is just a matter of time and referred to abolition of Article 370, considered impossible by parties for over decades after Independence.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP government successfully abolished it. Today, no political party dares to advocate for its reinstatement,” he pointed out.
Tushar Mehta further highlighted Pakistan’s severe economic crisis, stating that the basic necessities are scarce in POJK — people lack even flour, unemployment has crossed 35 per cent, and essential infrastructure is collapsing.
He added that after the unprecedented development in Jammu & Kashmir following the removal of Article 370, people in POJK now wish to join India. In the coming days, POJK’s people themselves may start a movement to merge with India.
He also emphasised the need to eliminate misleading names like ‘Azad Kashmir’ (AJK) given by Pakistan and urged all citizens to correct references on platforms like Wikipedia, ensuring the use of the correct name - POJK.
Notably, when India became independent in 1947, Jammu & Kashmir’s total area was 2,22,236 sq. km, comprising Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, and Gilgit. Today, 54.4 per cent of this territory (approximately 1.21 lakh sq. km) is under illegal occupation by Pakistan and China.