NEW DELHI: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that retrieving Pak occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) is the next on agenda.

Addressing the “Mirpur Balidan Diwas’ ‘ programme dedicated to PoJK displaced persons, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the leadership which has the capacity and the will to abrogate Article 370, also has the capacity to retrieve PoJK from the illegal occupation of Pakistan. He said, it was always believed and said that Article 370 would never be abrogated but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this was made possible and in the same way would the resolve to retrieve PoJK be also accomplished.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, retrieving PoJK is not only a political and national agenda, but also a responsibility towards the respect for human rights because our brethren in PoJK are living in inhuman conditions and have been mercilessly denied even basic amenities like healthcare and education.

Speaking as Chief Guest, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the partition of Indian subcontinent was the greatest tragedy in the history of mankind and added that while India suffered the tragedy of partition, Jammu & Kashmir also suffered the second tragedy of losing out a part of the erstwhile State to illegal occupation of Pakistan.

Accusing a series of Nehurvian blunders, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the then Home Minister Sardar Patel took over the responsibility of accession of over 560 Princely States at the time of independence and successfully accomplished it but he was kept out of Jammu & Kashmir because Prime Minister Nehru wanted to handle J&K at his own level. Even after Pakistan attacked J&K in the autumn of 1947, Nehru was hesitant to send Indian Forces to Jammu & Kashmir and it was only after empathic intervention by Sardar Patel that the first contingent of Sikh Regiment landed in Srinagar, he added.

However, Dr Jitendra Singh said, deviating from the propriety of collective decision making, Prime Minister Nehru on his own declared unilateral ceasefire just when the Indian Forces were about to retrieve the entire territory of Jammu & Kashmir captured by Pakistan. PoJK would have never happened if only Patel was given a free hand in J&K, he said.

On the occasion, a Camp was also organised to make Domicile Certificates for the members of PoJK community living in Delhi. Making fervent appeal to every member of the displaced community of PoJK to get their Domicile Certificate, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it not only entitles them to certain opportunities and privileges but also gives them a sense of identity and esteem.