‘No power can talk about autonomy in J&K’: Amit Shah on Congress-NC’s statehood pitch
Amit Shah reached Jammu on Friday on a two-day visit to launch the BJP's campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections. He released the BJP's election manifesto yesterday. The manifesto featured 25 guarantees, including creation of five lakh jobs, restoration of 100 “ruined temples” in Kashmir and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that no power can talk about autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir as he hit out at the Congress and National Conference for asserting that INDIA bloc will ensure restoration of statehood to the Union Territory. Shah came down heavily upon Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah for promising people of the UT that they will give Jammu and Kashmir state status again and said that only Centre has the authority to do so.
Addressing BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp’ booth workers meeting in Jammu, Shah said, “The Opposition says they would bring back the older regime in J&K, meaning they will bring back injustice that was being inflicted on the people. They say they will give autonomy to J&K, the same autonomy that led to bloodshed and mass killings in the Valley. Let me be clear, autonomy will never be restored in J&K.”
Shah also alleged that the Congress and National Conference that are contesting the upcoming polls together want to release those who are in jail for their involvement in stone-pelting incidents and terrorism, “so that terrorism returns in peaceful areas” like Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri.
“No power can talk about autonomy (in Jammu and Kashmir). Rahul baba (Gandhi), National Conference are saying they will give Jammu and Kashmir state status again. I want to ask Abdullah sahab and Rahul baba, how can you give it back, tell me? Why are you making fool of people of Jammu and Kashmir?”
Modi govt will give back state status to J&K
Shah said that only the Narendra Modi-led Central government has the authority to restore the statehood. “I have myself declared that we will give back state status to Jammu and Kashmir after after some time once the elections are over and at an appropriate time. I didn’t say this in any public gathering but in Parliament,” Shah added.
Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold Assembly election in three phases on – September 18, 25 and October 1 an the results will be declared on October 4. The Union territory is going to polls for the first time since the erstwhile it special status under Article 370 was revoked and it was bifurcated into two Union territories in August 2019.
‘There can’t be 2 PMs in country’
Shah further said that the upcoming polls in the Union Territory is going to be a “historic election” as for the first time since Independence, the voters of Jammu and Kashmir will cast their vote under the one tricolour and not under two separate flags.
“For the first time, the people of Jammu & Kashmir will vote in accordance with the Constitution of India written by Babasaheb Ambedkar. For the first time, Jammu & Kashmir has the same Prime Minister as the rest of India, our beloved PM Modi ji. There can’t be two PMs in the country, there can only be one PM whom people of Kashmir to Kanyakumari elect and that is PM Modi,” he added.
Shah reached Jammu on Friday on a two-day visit to launch the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections. He released the BJP’s election manifesto yesterday. The manifesto featured 25 guarantees, including creation of five lakh jobs, restoration of 100 “ruined temples” in Kashmir and return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits.