SRINAGAR: In the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed various issues, presenting his views and responding to queries from the opposition.
Shah started by questioning the historical basis of Article 370 and its status. He stated, “I want to ask the followers of Nehru, why was Article 370 prefixed with the word ‘temporary’ by him? SC upheld that challenging the Governor’s rule and President’s rule was not correct.”
Commenting on the recent Supreme Court ruling, Shah expressed disbelief at the opposition’s response, stating, “After facing such a defeat (in SC), I would have gone into depression and wouldn’t show up my face in Parliament for a month at least. But look at them (Opposition), they are doing a press conference that Article 370 was scrapped through the wrong means.”
Shah conveyed a message to the opposition, emphasising that an adjustment in their approach is imperative. He said that without such adaptation, there could be a continued decline in seats during the subsequent elections, with the potential outcome of Narendra Modi securing a third term in office.
Shifting the focus to the historical grievances of certain communities, Shah accused, “Who blocked the rights of my Gujjar Bakkarwal brothers for 75 years? It was these 3 families. I want to tell Digvijaya Singh that whenever he smiles there is a problem. So when he smiled and asked this question, I understood he wants to pit Gujjars against Bakkarwals. This will not disturb the reservation for Gujjars.”
On the subject of Kashmir’s integration with India, Shah also questioned some historical references, stating, “It was said that Kashmir is part of India due to Nehru. But I want to ask, there was a bigger problem in Hyderabad, did Nehru go there? Why did Digvijaya Singh not name Sardar Patel in the context of Kashmir? The J&K integration was delayed as pressure was mounted on Maharaja to include one person – Sheikh Abdullah. You have to answer for the past.”
Addressing security concerns in the region, Shah disclosed, “New jail, only for terrorists for Rs 105 crore is being built in J&K. Anyone involved in stone pelting will not get government jobs.”
