Abrogation of Article 370 in J&K historic step, argues Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday termed the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an historic step of uniting the country. Addressing a rally at Beed for BJP candidates, Shah further remarked “you blessed us with 300 seats (in Lok Sabha), we have scrapped the Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and brought the Kashmiris into the national mainstream”.

Lashing out at the opposition he urged the crowd to “question” such people, and propagate the historic achievement of striking down Article 370 in each and every home in your village. Shah stated that the Center has initiated several measures for the upliftment, progress and prosperity of the backward and downtrodden classes. He added that the government will ensure that justice is done to all our brethren who have been suffering for the last 70 years.

Shah recalled the contributions of the great saint of the Vanjari community, the BJP president said that it was the blessings of saint Bhagwanbaba that his first engagement after elections were announced in Maharashtra, was in Bhagwangad on the auspicious occasion of Dassehra. On his second visit to Bhagwangad since 2014, Shah said he would not make any political speeches today but extended his warm greetings to the people on the occasion of Dassehra, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

Earlier, the BJP president was accorded a rousing reception in Sawargaon (the birthplace of saint Bhagwanbaba) where he arrived to lend his and party support to a show of strength organised by the Munde sisters. He was received by Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Development, Pankaja Munde, her sister and Beed Lok Sabha MP Pritam Munde and others, with a procession of vehicles with people waving 370 tricolours, symbolizing the recent abrogation of Art. 370 in Jammu & Kashmir.

On the dais, Shah performed an ‘aarti’ before the portrait of saint Bhawanbaba and later smiled as a party activist donned the traditional Maharashtrian ‘pheta’ (headgear) amidst a huge applause in the presence of Speaker Haribhau Bagade and other dignitaries. Shah arrived in Beed to attend the annual Dassehra rally organized by the Munde sisters, in the district which is the stronghold of the family of the late union minister Gopinath Munde.