Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.

From near the international border here, Union Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Saturday started the Tiranga Yatra with a message to launch a formal movement for liberating people from the areas of Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan.

“One more battle for freedom is pending and it is that we have to get the people of PoK liberated from illegal occupation of Pakistan so that they are reunited with India,” he said, while beginning his yatra towards Kathua town.

It shall be the appeal and the message of this Tiranga yatra beginning from here that “from today, we have to launch a formal and consistent movement campaign for getting freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir”.

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Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of taking out Tiranga yatras all over the country from August 13 to felicitate freedom fighters and rededicate themselves for nationalism and nation’s service, Singh said that “I feel that Tiranga yatra in the real sense will culminate only when tricolour gets unfurled at Muzaffrabad, Kotli and other areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir”.

Expressing hope that PoK will be soon liberated from the occupation of Pakistan, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi government will do everything to achieve it.

He also criticised Pakistan for committing worst human rights violations to suppress people in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan who have been seeking liberation from its occupation. The world knows that Pakistan bombards its own people and even murder its own intellectuals to suppress their voice, he added.

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The Tiranga yatra by Singh assumed significance as it started from a place on the border of both Samba and Kathua districts, which have been witness to various terror attacks during the past few years. Only last year, two terrorists from Pakistan had attacked Rajbagh police station killing five before they were gunned down by state police. Next day, two other terrorists made an unsuccessful attempt to storm into an Army camp at Samba but they were killed by troops in a surgical operation.

Meanwhile in Jammu, BJP Lok Sabha member Jugal Kishore Sharma expressed concern over attempts to disturb other peaceful areas of Jammu region adjoining Kashmir Valley. Those getting support from Pakistan, after engineering violence in Kashmir Valley, were now trying to vitiate atmosphere in Jammu region as they did not want to see peace in the state, he said, adding that the government will not allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs.

READ: Our moral responsibility to stand by our brothers in PoK: Jitendra Singh

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the all-party meeting, Sharma said that Pakistan occupied Kashmir was an integral part of India. The people of PoK and Balochistan were struggling for their liberation from Pakistan, but it and its Army was committing the worst human rights violation to suppress them in these areas, he added.

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