People of PoK part of Indian family, day not far when they will return to India: Rajnath Singh
New Delhi, May 29 (PTI): People of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are part of India's "own family" and the day is not far when they will return to the Indian mainstream by listening to their inner voice, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.
Laying out India's policy approach towards Pakistan, Singh said New Delhi has "redesigned and redefined" its strategy and response to terrorism and that possible dialogue with Islamabad will be only on terrorism and PoK.
In an address at the CII Business Summit, he said 'Make-in-India' in the defence sector has been an essential component in the country's national security and it played a key role in India's effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor.
In the remarks, Singh appeared to be largely attempting to reach out to people of PoK saying India considers them to be part of its "own" family and exuded confidence that they will return voluntarily.
"I believe that the people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are our own, part of our family," he said.
"We are committed to the resolution of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' (One India, Best India) and we have full faith that those of our brothers who are geographically and politically separated from us today, will also return to the mainstream of India someday or the other with self-respect, listening to their voice of soul," he said.
Most of the people there feel a deep connection with India, there are only a few who have been misled, he said.
The defence minister said the unification of the PoK with India depends on "the cultural, social and economic prosperity of this country".
He said most of the people in PoK feel a "deep connection" with India and only a few of them have been "misled".
"The situation of our brothers and sisters living in PoK is similar to that of Shakti Singh, the younger brother of brave warrior Maharana Pratap."
"Even after separation, the confidence and faith of the elder brother towards his younger brother remains intact," Singh said.
"India always talks about connecting hearts, and we believe that by walking on the path of love, unity and truth, the day is not far when our own part, PoK, will return and say, I am India, I have returned," he said.
In a clear message to Pakistan, Singh also said the business of terrorism is not cost effective and it will come with a heavy price as Islamabad has realised now.
His comments came three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is for the youth of Pakistan to step forward and "free Pakistan from the disease of terrorism".
The defence minister described 'Make-in-India' as crucial for national security and prosperity, stating that the use of indigenous systems during Operation Sindoor has proved that India has the power to penetrate any armour of the enemy.
"We destroyed the terrorist hideouts and then the military bases. We could have done a lot more, but we presented a great example of coordination of power and restraint," he said.
In his remarks, Singh also highlighted India's domestic defence capabilities.
India's defence export was less than Rs 1000 crore 10 years ago but it has now reached a record figure of Rs 23,500 crore, he said.
Today, it has been proven that Make-in-India in defence is essential for both India's security and prosperity, he said.
Today, we are not just building fighter jets or missile systems and we are also preparing for new-age warfare technology, he said.
Singh also spoke about India's ambitious plan to build a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet -- the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).
The defence ministry this week cleared the "execution model" to design and produce the aircraft.
Singh emphasised that through the AMCA "execution model", the private sector will get an opportunity to participate in the project along with public sector companies for the first time.
"Under the AMCA project, the plan is to develop five prototypes, which will be followed by series production. It is a key milepost in the history of the Make-in-India programme," he said.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
