CM Fadnavis: PoK residents want to join India
Synopsis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at a public event in Navi Mumbai on 25 October 2026, declared that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir want to be part of India — reaffirming the BJP's post-Article 370 stance on India's territorial claim over PoK.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis declared at a Navi Mumbai event on 25 October 2026 that residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir want to join India.
The statement was delivered in both Marathi and Hindi , signalling broad political reach across Maharashtra's electorate.
India has maintained since the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370 that PoK is an integral, if illegally occupied, part of India.
BJP leaders have periodically reiterated India's PoK claim as part of domestic political discourse on territorial integrity.
Watch for any follow-up from the Ministry of External Affairs or references in upcoming parliamentary sessions on Kashmir policy.
At a public event in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, 25 October 2026, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a pointed assertion that the people living under Pakistani administration in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) want to be part of India — a remark that cuts straight to one of the most persistent fault lines in South Asian geopolitics.
Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis declared in Marathi and Hindi: 'पाकव्याप्त काश्मीरमधील लोकांनाही भारतात यायचे आहे!' — 'The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also want to come to India!' The statement, delivered in both Marathi and Hindi, was framed as an expression of solidarity with PoK residents and a reaffirmation of India's territorial claim over the region.
India's PoK position since Article 370
The assertion is not new ground for Indian leaders, but its forcefulness matters. Since the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370, the Indian government has maintained an unambiguous position: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is an integral part of India, illegally held. Fadnavis's remarks sit squarely within that political line, echoing what senior BJP leaders have said in parliament and on the campaign trail repeatedly since the constitutional change.
The broader pattern is consistent — Indian politicians, particularly from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, have periodically raised the PoK question to signal domestic resolve on territorial integrity, especially at moments of India-Pakistan tension. Coming from a sitting chief minister at a public rally, the remark carries the weight of official political sentiment, if not a fresh diplomatic initiative.
What a Navi Mumbai crowd heard
The choice of Navi Mumbai as the venue is notable. Maharashtra's political audience spans a large Kashmiri diaspora community and a voter base with strong feelings on national security. By invoking PoK, Fadnavis spoke directly to a constituency that views India's claim over the territory as non-negotiable. The dual-language delivery — Marathi and Hindi — ensured the message landed across the full breadth of the room.
Whether the Ministry of External Affairs follows up with any formal articulation, or whether the remarks surface in the next parliamentary session on Kashmir policy, will determine how far this moment travels beyond the rally ground. For now, Fadnavis has put a sharp point on a claim India has never abandoned — and shown no sign of softening.
Point of View
Embedding a foreign-policy assertion into state-level political identity. Such statements carry limited direct diplomatic weight but serve as reliable markers of where the BJP's coalition politics stands on India's hardest territorial question. The real significance will emerge if the remarks prompt a formal government articulation or escalate into a broader parliamentary debate on PoK policy.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Devendra Fadnavis say about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?
Speaking at a public event in Navi Mumbai on 25 October 2026, Fadnavis declared that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also want to be part of India, reaffirming India's long-standing territorial claim over the region.
What is India's official position on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?
India considers Pakistan-occupied Kashmir an integral part of the country, a stance reinforced after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which reorganised the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Why do Indian leaders talk about PoK in domestic speeches?
Assertions over PoK are a recurring feature of Indian political discourse, particularly among BJP leaders, to signal resolve on territorial integrity and appeal to nationalist sentiment within their voter base.
What is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is the portion of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir administered by Pakistan since the first India-Pakistan war in 1947-48; India claims the entire territory as its own.
Will Fadnavis's remarks have any diplomatic consequences?
Such statements by state-level leaders typically form part of domestic political discourse; any formal diplomatic consequence would depend on follow-up by the Ministry of External Affairs or a response from Pakistan.
