Srinagar, Jun 12: India will not engage with Pakistan till the terrorism directed against the country keeps emanating from the neighbouring nation, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference here on the completion of 11 years of the Modi government, Khattar said India has told Pakistan to end terror, and when it ends terror, then only the talks can proceed.
“Modi has maintained that talks and terror won’t go together, trade and terror won’t go together, and blood and water won’t flow together,” he said.
Khattar also said under Modi, internal security has strengthened, and Naxal and terrorist activities have come down.
“There were over 100 districts affected by Naxalism before, which has now been reduced to six. It will be wiped from those districts as well soon,” he added.
The minister said Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were most affected by terror incidents, but they have been controlled to a large extent now.
“We took strong action against our neighbouring country…those who support terror will not be spared. India showed to the world its prowess during Operation Sindoor,” he said.
Khattar also appreciated the people of J&K for standing together against terror without any bias after the Pahalgam terror attack.
He also hailed the revocation of Article 370 and called the integration of J&K into mainstream India an achievement of the Modi government.
On the Congress party’s criticism of these 11 years, the BJP leader said people have a right to criticise, but the opposition party will not achieve anything from that.
The Union minister also said the government has improved the lives of the farmers and poor people and worked for women empowerment by ending ‘triple talaq’ (instant divorce) and reserving 33 per cent seats in the Lok Sabha for women.
Meanwhile, Manohar Lal Khattar, who is the Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs, said that the Government of India (GoI) was no longer answerable to Pakistan and will resume work on Wullar barrage project.
Khattar said, “Earlier we had to take them (Pakistan) on board with regard to the any project or development in this regard. Now, the situation has changed.” “Previously in 1981, there was a new project near Wullar Lake, Pakistan had not allowed and permitted to build the barrage on the River Jhelum at the mouth of Wullar Lake,” he said.
The minister said that because of the treaty, the project could not be taken forward. “However, after putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, there is no requirement of any permission from Pakistan and we will resume the work on the project.”
