India can take PoK when it wants, asserts Ahir; Prove my father wrong with action, says Omar

JAMMU: A day after main opposition National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah's controversial remark that Pakistan would not allow India to take PoK, Junior Union Home Minister Hansraj Ahir and Junior Abdullah broke out in an indirect war of words, with former claiming that none can stop India if it wanted take PoK from Pakistan while the latter asked the Centre to prove his father wrong with "actions" instead of words.
Reacting to Farooq Abdullah's statement of Wednesday, National Union Minister Hansraj Ahir on Thursday said no one could stop India if it wanted to wrest PoK from Pakistan, stressing that the territory was a part of India.
The minister of state for home said Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir was under Islamabad because of the "mistakes" of previous governments.
"I say Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir is a part of India and due to the mistakes of the previous governments it has been with Pakistan. If we try to get PoK back, no one can stop us because it is our right," he said on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi.
The minister said India would make efforts to get the territory back from Pakistan.
Reacting to Ahir's statement, Farooq's son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Centre should prove his father wrong with "actions" by taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
"I don't understand the 'if we try'. What is stopping you from getting it back? Prove Dr (Farooq) Abdullah wrong with your actions rather than with hollowed out words," Omar Abdullah tweeted.
It may be recalled that prior to Wednesday's assertion, Farooq Abdullah had made controversial remarks earlier this week too saying PoK was part of Pakistan while Jammu and Kashmir is part of India.
He said India and Pakistan may fight as many wars as they can but this cannot be changed.
Hitting out at Ahir, Omar Abdullah asked if he included the decision of the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to respect the sanctity of Line of Control (LoC).
"And in 'previous governments' do you include Vajpayee Sb's decision to respect sanctity of LoC during the Kargil War as well?" he asked.
In an earlier tweet yesterday, Omar Abdullah, reacting to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's remarks, said he wanted to know what successive Congress governments did since 1947 to get back PoK.
"That's excellent news. Perhaps Azad Sb may like to explain what successive Congress governments have done since 47 to get it back," he wrote.