NEW DELHI: India’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi has visited the monastery of Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, and received a request from the religious figure to claim “PoK”, a term India uses for Azad Kashmir.
During the visit on Wednesday, the spiritual leader mentioned that he had given the same diksha (initiation) with the Ram Mantra that was given to Lord Hanuman before his legendary journey to Lanka to rescue Sita.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned recent remarks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “hate-filled and violent,” urging the international community to take serious note of India’s escalating rhetoric, undermining regional stability and the prospects for lasting peace.
PM Modi, while delivering a speech in Gujarat on Monday, said, “The people of Pakistan must come forward to rid their country of terrorism. Their youth will have to come forward. Live a life of peace, eat your bread or [choose my] bullet.”
Reacting to Modi’s remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson expressed regret over the “continued erosion of maturity and decorum in Indian statecraft”.
Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). India swiftly blamed Pakistan without presenting any credible evidence.
Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly denied the Indian allegations as baseless. Pakistan also offered a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident.
However, New Delhi did not respond to Pakistan’s offer and continued with its aggressive posture.
On the night of May 6-7, India launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties.
Pakistan responded firmly and downed five Indian fighter jets and destroyed a brigade headquarters and several military posts. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week.
On May 10, when tensions between the two countries peaked, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan.
According to the government, 40 civilians — including 7 women and 15 children — lost their lives in the Indian aggression, and 121 others sustained injuries.
