J&K: Shah says only Centre can ensure statehood restoration, dismisses oppn’s autonomy plank

Jammu, Sep 7 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday dismissed the opposition’s attempt to revive the autonomy plank during the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls and asked the NC-Congress alliance to stop fooling people by promising statehood as only the Centre can restore the status.

Shah assured people about the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood after the assembly election, which he said is the first under the national flag and the Constitution following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Narendra Modi government.

At a BJP workers’ rally at Ploura in the Jammu North assembly segment, told them that “Jammu would decide the formation of government” and the National Conference-Congress alliance would “never be able to form a government”.

Accusing the Congress-National Conference alliance of attempting to revive the “old system” and pushing Jammu and Kashmir into the fire of terrorism and corruption again, Shah said, “The time when someone else was deciding whose government will be formed (in J&K) has gone. Now Jammu will decide the formation of government.”

The NC and Congress, however, claimed the BJP was attempting to sow confusion and fear among the electorate as it was in a state of panic since the two parties announced a seat-sharing arrangement and asserted that the 10-year BJP rule in the country was a “disappointment”.

Shah was in Jammu on a two-day visit to boost the BJP’s election campaign for the assembly polls, voting for which is scheduled on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 8.

He released the party’s manifesto on his first day of visit on Friday and also chaired meetings with senior leaders to discuss the campaign strategy.

“The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir are historic because, after Independence, the polls are happening for the first time under our national flag and Constitution, unlike the past practice of two flags and two constitutions. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we have only one prime minister and he is Modi,” Shah told the rally before leaving for Delhi.

“(PM) Modi restored your honour by ending discrimination and injustice faced by you… Ensure (the formation of) a government that will work for you so that you do not have to go to Srinagar with a begging bowl. It is possible by strengthening Modi’s hand,” he said.

Shah started his over half-an-hour speech at the BJP workers’ rally by paying tributes to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra and Baba Daleep Singh Manhas and extended greetings to the nation on Ganesh Chaturthi and the Jain community on Paryushana Parva.

He introduced the BJP’s candidates from 11 seats of Jammu districts that are going to polls in the last phase and said, “We have to not only defeat their opponents but also ensure that they lose their security deposits.”

“This election is being held outside the shadow of Article 370. We have seen a miracle in the Lok Sabha elections when 58.46 per cent of voters exercised their franchise unlike in the past when 10 per cent voting was being celebrated by the previous governments in Delhi.

“This is the biggest success of democracy,” he said, reiterating that there will be no talks with Pakistan till terrorism ends and peace is restored.

On the opposition’s poll promise of statehood restoration, Shah said, “I want to ask Farooq Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi, who is going to restore the statehood. You cannot give it back. Why are you misleading the public?”

“It is the central government and BJP and I have already said inside Parliament that we will restore statehood at an appropriate time after assembly elections. They should hear my speech on August 5 and 6 (in 2019).”

He also criticised the NC for its promise of releasing “stone-pelters and terrorists” from jails and alleged that their aim is to revive terrorism in the peaceful Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts of Jammu.

Kashmir has borne the brunt of terrorism because there were governments that used to close their eyes and the people at the helm used to flee.

“If NC-Congress returns to power, consider that as a revival of terrorism. Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu has to decide whether they want terrorism or peace and development… Nobody dares to infiltrate when there is the BJP.

“When the Modi government took over (in 2014), it spelt destruction for those funding terrorism by sending them to jails. They are talking about starting suspended LoC trade, the dividends of which go to terrorism,” he said.

The BJP-led government has brought down terror incidents in the Union territory by 70 per cent, the home minister claimed.

The NDA government would not allow the revival of terrorism, “autonomy” and injustice with any community, including Gujjars, Pahari, Bakerwals and Dalits who have been granted reservation by the BJP dispensation, he said.

Referring to the NC’s promise of implementation of the autonomy resolution, Shah said no power can talk about autonomy as more than 40,000 people have lost their lives to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2000, the National Conference government under Farooq Abdullah passed a resolution in the Assembly seeking to restore the pre-1953 constitutional position in the state. It was, however, rejected by the Union Cabinet headed by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“I am reading the writing on the wall that NC and Congress will never form a government. They are the people who forced Maharaja Hari Singh to exile and only his ashes could be brought back after his death,” Shah said.

Shah said it was the BJP that fulfilled the aspirations and long-pending demands of the people of the Jammu region and mentioned the announcement of a holiday on the birth anniversary of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh to bolster his claim.

“Should those who insulted the maharaja and forced him into exile win?” he posed while alleging that the NC-Congress alliance has a “divisive” agenda.

“Do you agree with changing the name of Shankaracharya Hill (in Srinagar) to ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’? This is on their agenda,” he asked the gathering.

Continuing his tirade against the NC, Congress and the PDP, he accused the three of indulging in “mass corruption”.

The corruption by these families is equal to that in the entire country, the Union home minister alleged. “Had the money taken by them been utilised for development of the region, no work would have been left incomplete in Jammu and Kashmir.”

“I want to remind the youth of Kashmir that you gave power to them but Abdullah and his family fled to England in the face of terrorism while the youth fell to terrorism which we wiped out. Vote anyone you want but do not make them win as their agenda will bring back terrorism and stop development,” he added.

Recounting the Modi government’s works, Shah said it has spent over Rs 32,000 crore for the development of the Jammu region alone in the past 10 years.

He also referred to the annual Amarnath Yatra and said over 5.12 lakh pilgrims from across the country offered their prayers at the shrine this year without any fear while crediting the Modi dispensation for it.

The Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Raman Bhalla slammed BJP for targeting the NC-Congress alliance and said, “The BJP is visibly shaken and resorting to smear tactics against the INDIA bloc, sensing a resounding defeat at the hands of the people.”

“Instead of engaging in meaningful debate on their dismal governance record, they are attempting to sow confusion and fear among the electorate. But let me tell you this – their tactics won’t work,” he said.