RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday referred to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a room in India's house occupied by intruders and emphasised that it should be reclaimed.
Addressing a function in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, Bhagwat declared, "Many Sindhi brothers are sitting here. I am very happy. They did not go to Pakistan; they went to undivided India. Circumstances have sent us here from that home because that home and this home are not different."
Terming the entire India as one family, he said, "The whole of India is one home, but someone has removed one room of our house where my table, chair, and clothes used to be kept. They have occupied it. Tomorrow, I have to take it back..." His statement received loud applause from the audience.
Bhagwat's comments were made in the backdrop of heightened tensions in PoK, where thousands have taken to the streets under the leadership of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) calling for economic relief and political changes. At least 10 people have been killed and over 100 injured during the past three days when Pakistani troops clashed with protesters. Four protesters were killed in Dhirkot (Bagh district) alone, with other deaths reported from Muzaffarabad, Dadyal (Mirpur), and Chamyati near Kohala.
Experts mention that these protests have dismantled Pakistan's decades-long lie regarding Kashmir and unveiled the repressive reality for PoK residents. They further posit that Islamabad's resort to violence instead of talks has increased instability within the region.
Earlier, Bhagwat had stressed the need to bolster India's security machinery. Speaking of the Pahalgam terror attack, he said the international reaction showed “who our friends are in the global arena and to what extent they are willing to stand by us.” He further added that India's leadership and defence forces responded with a "fitting response," which embodied the nation's unity, determination, and courage.
The ongoing unrest in PoK underscores the deepening divide between the local population and the Pakistani establishment, with experts cautioning Islamabad that its heavy-handed policy is triggering more resentment.
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