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Updated: Jul 10, 2020 03:32 IST

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, back from France where he formally received the first Rafale made for the IAF, was in Haryana on Sunday where he served a warning on neighbouring Pakistan, which has been raising its pitch on Kashmir.

The Union minister impressed upon Pakistan to bring about a change in its way of thinking and warned of dire consequences in case the request was ignored. He said he was making the plea with “utter politeness”.

“Today with utter politeness, I want to give suggestion to Pakistan that they must change the way they think and the direction of their thinking, else Pakistan that was divided into two parts earlier, will now be divided into several parts,” said Singh, who was in Pataudi for boosting BJP’s poll preparations in Haryana.

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Haryana goes to polls on October 21. The counting of votes will take place on October 24.

“I’d like to suggest Pakistan to work honestly, eliminate terrorism, maintain brotherhood. We’re neighbours, we want to walk together. If you don’t fight terrorism honestly, I clearly state that India has the ability to fight fundamentalist forces,” said the minister.

A top Pentagon official has recently said the US and other countries fear that Pakistan-based militant groups could carry out terror strikes in India following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status if Islamabad doesn’t “keep a lid” on their activities.

Indian officials have repeatedly raised concerns that Pakistan was mobilising terror groups along the Line of Control (LoC) following the Centre’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

The Centre abrogated Article 370 on August 5 and reorganised the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.