SRINAGAR: On Tuesday, Home Minister, Amit Shah stood before a massive rally at the Manhas Biradari Grounds in Paloura, on the outskirts of Jammu City and unveiled the BJP vision for Jammu and Kashmir. He attacked the regional parties’ right, left and centre and offered Narendra Modi led government as the best bet.
“In the name of security, these parties exploited the youth of the Valley,” Shah declared, his tone firm as he accused the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of perpetuating a cycle of violence and unrest. With conviction, he laid bare the harsh realities faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the scourge of fake encounters and the tragic loss of innocent lives.
“I want to tell the youth of Kashmir that in the name of security, all three parties exploited the Valley youth. I want to ask Farooq Abdullah sahab (NC president) and the PDP, in whose tenure did the highest number of fake encounters take place? Who opened fire on Kashmir’s children? Who put guns in the hands of the Valley kids? It is these three parties.” He added: “Earlier, there was terrorism, hartals and stone pelting. Modi Government ended all this and started development.”
“Politicians do not wield a gun, security forces do,” Home Minister said. “If politicians were behind such things, then security forces also got involved. Besides, a fake gunfight essentially means killing somebody in custody, which is a larger import.”
Shah offered a glimmer of hope, invoking the transformative power of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “Narendra Modiji has restored peace in Jammu and Kashmir and put it on the path of development,” Shah proclaimed. He credited the Modi government with bringing an end to the reign of terror and ushering in an era of progress and prosperity. “Jammu and Kashmir had slipped into backwardness due to terrorism and agitations for the past 70 years but Modi facilitated the end of terrorism, fake encounters, stone-pelting, and Pakistan-sponsored strikes, paving the way for development.”
Home Minister said the Article 370 is gone and the tricolour is flying high across Jammu and Kashmir as it is in the rest of the country. “The PDP was saying that nobody will raise the tricolour if Article 370 is revoked but I want to tell Mehbooba that we will be gone but the tricolour is going to stay forever and flutter with honour, pride and prestige,” he said, asserting Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s dream of ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahi challengay has been realised.
“I have come to tell the voters of Kashmir that when we get love (of Kashmiris), the lotus will bloom in Kashmir as well,” Shah said, indicating the party was lot in haste for lotus bloom in Kashmir. The party has not fielded any candidate for three Jammu and Kashmir constituencies in Kashmir, so far.
