India has right over entire J&K, including PoK; political decision on how to take it back: General Bipin Rawat

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday asserted that India has the right over the entire Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and it is a political decision on how India will wrest it back from Pakistan. The Army will follow the orders.

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War, General Rawat said, "India has the right over the entire Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). How we will take it back is a political decision. Will it be taken in back in a diplomatic manner or will there be another way, it will be decided. The step to be taken next will be carried out as per orders."

Army Chief remarks came on a day when the entire country is commenmorating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, 1999.

He also said that Jammu and Kashmir was merged into India in October 1947 by the then King Hari Singh. "Accordingly, the Indian Army was deployed in Kashmir and we had thrown out the Pakistani infiltrators at that time but at that time ceasefire was declared. Since then, a part of Kashmir is under Pakistan and is called PoK," added General Rawat.

Earlier General Rawat had advised Pakistan against repeating any misadventure and warned Pakistan of a "bloodier nose" if it chooses to go into another war with India. ''Don`t do it. Misadventures are normally not repeated. You`ll get a bloodier nose next time," General Rawat said at a press conference.

The 20th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas is being observed to commemorate the success of ''Operation Vijay'' which was launched by the Indian Army to recapture the strategic Indian territories held by the Pakistani intruders in the Kargil-Drass sector in 1999.

Since 1999, July 26 is celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas every year to commemorate the victory of ''Operation Vijay''. While the 60-day long war resulted in the loss of several lives on both the sides, India eventually won the unofficial war by regaining control of all the previously held territory, re-establishing the status quo.

One of the most prominent wars between India and Pakistan, the Kargil War or the Kargil Conflict took place between May 3 and July 26, 1999, in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). 

To honour the Kargil War's Heroes, who laid down their life for the country, July 26 is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas in their memory. From Kargil–Dras sector in North India to Delhi and Assam, a host of events and functions are organised all over the country to commemorate the contributions of the armed forces.

After the signing of peaceful Lahore Declaration in February 1999, promising to provide a peaceful and bilateral solution to the Kashmir Conflict, some elements of the Pakistani Armed Forces infiltrated into the Indian side of the line of control (LOC). The infiltration, named as ‘Operation Badr’, aimed at severing the link between Kashmir and Ladakh and compel Indian forces to withdraw from the Siachen Glacier.

However, the Government of India responded with ''Operation Vijay'', with the war coming to an official end on July 26, 1999, thus marking it as Kargil Vijay Diwas. A total of 527 Indian soldiers bravely lost their lives during the war.