Union Home Minister Amit Shah charged on Saturday that by pushing for the release of separatists and supporters of terrorism, the National Conference (NC)-Congress combination was trying to undermine Jammu and Kashmir.
In front of the approaching Assembly elections, Shah spoke at a public gathering in Jammu and strongly denounced attempts to rekindle terrorism in the area.
Congress and the NC want to free those who throw stones. They want Poonch and Rajouri to become hubs for terrorism. We have imprisoned troublemakers. They demand the resumption of cross-LoC trading. Who will gain from it?” stated Shah.
Shah claimed that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of Mehbooba Mufti and the NC-Congress coalition intended to drive the area “into the fire of terrorism.”
Three households have plundered J&K. If NC and Congress win, terror will return. Their fate must be decided by Jammu. “We won’t allow terror to raise its head if BJP comes to power,” he declared, adding that negotiations with Pakistan won’t start again until there is peace.
The powerful BJP member also asserted that the NC-Congress combination sought to strip Jammu of its rights and restore autonomy to the area, something he swore would never take place.
“No power will dare to talk about autonomy in J&K now,” Shah added.
The Home Minister also made fun of Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, saying that he had deceived the public by claiming that statehood would be restored. “Rahul Gandhi declares that he will grant J&K statehood. Does he possess the authority to do so? He remarked, “Rahul Gandhi must stop fooling the people of J&K. I have said in parliament that statehood will be given back at a suitable time after the elections.”
In addition, Shah charged that the opposition was aiming to renounce Shankaracharya Hill as Takht-e-Suleman and to take away the reservations held by the Gujjar, Bakerwal, and Pahari communities—moves he had pledged to stop.
The 90-member assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will be chosen in three stages of voting. September 18 is the first phase date, while September 25 and October 1 are the next rounds. October 8 is the date of the counting.