Congress suits Pakistan, Pakistan suits Congress: UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

By Suchitra Mukherjee
New Delhi [India], May 22 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed that while neighbouring Pakistan favours Opposition parties of India, the opposition has also favoured Pakistan by claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has conducted air strikes and surgical strikes to win the elections.
"Pakistan is now taking a lot of interest in India's Lok Sabha elections. New statements come out from Pakistan every day. Pakistan is also favouring the opposition parties of India. Not only this, the former minister of Pakistan has also praised Mamata Banerjee, Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi...," Maurya said in an exclusive conversation with ANI.
"At the same time, the opposition also accused the BJP of conducting air strikes, surgical strikes and Pulwama attacks to win elections. On the other hand, the BJP is saying that after winning more than 400 seats, BJP will take back Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kaskmir," Maurya added.
Explaining his point that Pakistan is supporting Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "Pakistan praises Congress, Congress praises Pakistan. This has been stated many times in the statements of their top leaders. But the Bharatiya Janata Party and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleaned up terrorism, we crushed it, we entered their houses, we killed them, we did air strikes, we did surgical strikes. Pakistan, which dared to look at us, is begging with a bowl in front of the world today."
Speaking about claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party that it is committed to taking back Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Maurya said, "Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir is under illegal occupation by Pakistan and the people of Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir have hoisted the Indian tricolour there. My heart is happy that India is moving forward under the leadership of PM Modi."
"All of us are saying that 400 people will be hoisting the Indian tricolour on Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, Kashmir, which is a part of India, had to go under the shadow of security to hoist the tricolour flag at Lal Chowk of Kashmir. Now every house has the tricolor flag. It is being hoisted there (Pakistan) too," he added.
Maurya claimed that Congress would be uneasy if Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir came under India's control owing to its appeasement politics. Maurya said that since the area is legally India's there should be no problem with India taking back Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir.
"Elections are being conducted peacefully in Kashmir. This has made Pakistan uneasy. Congress will be uneasy. Those doing appeasement politics have become uneasy. But if Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is ours then it is ours, it will be ours. What will be ours will remain ours. This has been said by the Home Minister on which there should be no question," he said.
Contrasting the situation of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control with that of Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir, Maurya said, "The residents of Kashmir are celebrating, they are getting all facilities, whereas, in Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir, people are dying of hunger, they do not have food to eat, there do not have essential items..."
Hitting out at the Congress, Maurya said that the opposition even claimed that Lord Ram did not exist only to appease its Muslim voters.
"Article 370 was removed by PM Modi. The Congress, to appease Muslim voters, said that Lord Ram does not exist. The grand temple of Lord Ram Lalla was built under the leadership of PM Modi. We present before the public what is true," Maurya said.
Responding to allegations by the Congress that the BJP orchestrated the Pulwama attack to win the elections, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "These are very cheap allegations, they are doing very dirty politics, the country will not forgive those who question the bravery of those serving the country."
"There was not just one terrorist attack in our country. There were many. But it was only the terrorists who attacked us. The answer was given when PM Modi became the Prime Minister of the country. When the Congress government was in power, Pakistan could do anything," Maurya said.
"The present government in India has changed this. Today, if someone commits a mistake, we are not ready to forgive him. If they do not correct the mistakes quickly, there will be no forgiveness. Now there will be direct punishment," he added.