SRINAGAR: Opposition political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including Congress, rebuffed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s criticism of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, asserting that Kashmir has endured due to his errors.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that Amit Shah and his party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have reached this stage after focusing on the negative aspects of the country.
“BJP has never been part of independence, not even contributed to it; they don’t even understand the country’s emergence and development,” he said.
“It is because of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that Kashmir is part of India,” he added, highlighting that Congress does not take their statements seriously as they mislead people by distorting facts.
National Conference (NC) President and Member of Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah, speaking to media persons in New Delhi, suggested that Rajouri and Poonch would not be part of India today if Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru had focused on Muzaffarabad. He mentioned that due to the different circumstances, Nehru’s decision secured Rajouri and Poonch at that time.
“Pt Jawaharlal Nehru’s decision secured Rajouri and Poonch at that time as the situation was quite different then. There was no other solution than going to the United Nations as everybody at the time was in favour of it,” he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Najam-us-Saqib, called it completely wrong and unfortunate to blame someone for the crisis in Kashmir. “Blaming Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru is dishonest; he was a tall leader who laid the foundation of a secular democratic India,” Najam said.
Given the situation at that time, J&K needed a different approach, being a Muslim-majority state ruled by a Hindu ruler. “Nehru played a pivotal role in convincing the leaders here to join the Union of India,” he said.
Apni Party (AP) leaders supported the Union Home Minister’s remarks, stating that Kashmiris have suffered because of Congress and Abdullahs.
AP Chief Spokesman, Javid Beigh, affirmed that the people are facing the consequences of their (Congress and Abdullah’s) wrongdoings.
During Wednesday’s discussions on the J&K Reservation Amendment Bill and J&K Reorganisation Amendment Bill in the lower house, Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted “two big mistakes” made by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
According to Shah, these mistakes were responsible for the prolonged suffering of Jammu & Kashmir. Shah stated, “Two mistakes happened due to the decision of (former PM) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru after which Kashmir had to suffer for many years. The first was to declare a ceasefire when our Army was winning. If there had been a ceasefire after three days, PoK would have been a part of India today. The second was to take our internal issue to the UN.”
Referring to this as a “historic blunder,” Shah believed that if Nehru had taken the right steps, PoK would be an integral part of India today. While addressing the lower house, Shah also attributed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the region to the actions of past governments in the erstwhile state. (KNO)
