Home minister asks Cong leader Shinde to visit Kashmir, says BJP has buried terrorism

Chanderkote (J&K), Sep 16 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asked senior Congress leader Sushil Shinde to visit Kashmir along with his children and grandchildren, saying the BJP government has secured the place by burying terrorism.

Shah was referring to former home minister’s recent remarks at the launch of his memoir that he was scared while visiting Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of Srinagar during his ministerial stint.

‘You might have heard a tall Congress leader Shinde from Maharashtra who said that he was afraid of visiting Lal Chowk. I want to tell him that he should come with his children and grandchildren now.

“‘Koi tumhara baal bhi baka nahi kar sakta’ (no one can harm you) because we have secured Kashmir by burying terrorism,” the home minister said addressing an election rally here in Ramban district.

Referring to former Congress president and leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s frequent visits to Kashmir in the recent past, he said, “Rahul Baba is roaming on bike, having ice-cream and throwing snow balls on his sister (Priyanka Gandhi) and at the same time abusing (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.

“You are abusing Modi but it was not possible during your government. We have buried terrorism so you reached there with your (Bharat Jodo) yatra. It was possible because the BJP-led government is in power at the Centre,” Shah said.

Referring to Ekta Yatra led by the then BJP president, Murli Manohar Joshi, in December 1991, Shah said he along with Modi were part of the yatra which was supposed to unfurl the tricolour at Lal Chowk but was stopped at Ramban.

“We spent two days in Ramban and later a helicopter was made available for us to unfurl the tricolour in Lal Chowk. The situation has changed and now Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmashtami are observed, and Tazia (procession by Shia community) taken out and there was no riot,” he said.