‘Baba Amarnath here, Maa Sharda across LoC’: Rajnath Singh on PoK| Video
Rajnath Singh was referring to the Sharda Peeth, which has the ruins of a temple to Hindu goddess Saraswati, also known as Sharda. It is located close to the Kishen Ganga river in the Neelum valley, around 150 kilometres from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday made a fresh pitch for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), saying that is a part of India and will continue to do so.“A resolution was passed in Parliament on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). PoK is a part of Indian territory and will continue to do so. How is it possible that Baba Amarnath (Lord Shiva's form) is in India and Maa Sharda Shakti is across the Line of Control,” news agency ANI quoted the defence minister.Singh was referring to the Sharda Peeth, which has the ruins of a temple to Hindu goddess Saraswati, also known as Sharda. It is located close to the Kishen Ganga river in the Neelum valley, around 150 kilometres from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. This site holds religious significance for the Kashmiri Pandits who have been demanding Kartarpur like corridor to offer prayers.
In 2018, People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti had urged India and Pakistan to allow pilgrimage to the Sharda Peeth. “Kartarpur is a great example of how religion can bring people together instead of dividing them. It is a path envisioned by PDP founder Mufti Sb to end the turmoil in Kashmir. #SelfRule. After Kartarpur, Delhi and Pakistan must facilitate Sharda Peeth pilgrimage for Kashmiris,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had tweeted after India and Pakistan had laid the foundation stone for Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims.In 2019, Mufti again reiterated the pitch for Sharda Peeth corridor, saying that opening the pilgrimage would ease tensions between India and Pakistan. Her statement came amid the hostilities between the two countries in wake of Balakot airstrikes and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
