SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that there will be no talks with Pakistan until peace becomes a permanent feature in Jammu and Kashmir, and that statehood will be restored at an appropriate time after assembly elections.
“National Conference has advocated talks with Pakistan in its manifesto. Let me make it clear that there will be no talks with Pakistan until peace is permanent in JK,” Shah said, addressing a large gathering in Jammu.
He challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Gujjar-Bakerwal and Dalit reservations, stating that “no power can touch this reservation.”
Mocking the NC-Congress claims of restoring statehood to JK, Shah said, “Perhaps, Rahul baba and Omar are unaware of my August 5, 2019 speech where I clarified that statehood will be restored to JK post-polls at an appropriate time.” In a sharp attack on Rahul and Omar, Shah added: “I wonder how they can restore statehood. Can they clarify? It is only the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government that can restore statehood to JK.”
He noted that this will be the first election in JK with only one flag, one constitution, and one Prime Minister. “There is only one Prime Minister for the nation, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and that is Narendra Modi,” Shah said.
Instructing BJP workers to ensure voting is completed by 11:30 am on election day, Shah urged them to pledge to vote against Abdullahs, Muftis, and Gandhis. He also led the slogan, “Jahan Huway Balidan Mukherji, Wo Kashmiri Hamara Hai.”
Shah said the people of Jammu and Kashmir should understand that NC and Congress can never form a government in JK. Criticising PDP for supporting cross-LoC trade, Shah said the profits from such trade would end up in the pockets of “terror mentors.”
Taking a dig at NC’s promise of autonomy, Shah said it was due to this slogan that 40,000 people lost their lives in JK over the past three decades. “No one can talk about autonomy now. Those days are gone,” he said.
Shah urged BJP workers not to vote for NC, Congress, and PDP, claiming they want to revive terrorism, separatism, and stone-pelting in JK. “These parties want the release of terror mentors and those who funded stone-pelting. Do they deserve votes for this?” Shah asked, as the workers shouted, “NO.”
The Union Home Minister also accused NC of wanting to rename Shankaracharya Hill to Takht-i-Sulaiman. “We will not allow this, come what may,” he said. Shah further accused NC of forcing Maharaja Hari Singh to flee Kashmir. “What eventually returned to JK was only Hari Singh’s body, the man who acceded to India in 1947,” he said. —(KNO)
