Mumbai: Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah sounded the BJPs Maharashtra Assembly poll bugle by slamming the opposition Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led alliance for their opposition to the BJP governments move to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a public seminar at Goregaon East, North Mumbai, he urged the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra to show the Congress, NCP their place for opposing the abrogation of the articles that ensured full and final integration of J&K with India. Stating that this was the first election after the removal of Article 370,Shah said that the people of Maharashtra shall decide whether they want to side with parties that espouse the cause of nationalism or promote their own dynasties.
He also reminded BJP ally, Shiv Sena that Devendra Fadnavis will once again become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on October 24 next month. Shah however laid all speculations to rest about pre-poll alliance with the Sena by asserting that the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is all set to return to power in Maharashtra with a thumping three-fourths majority with Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister again.
He dared former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar to tell the people whether they support or oppose the removal of Article 370. Shah stated that three generations of BJP leadership have laid down their lives for Kashmir. Slamming the Congress for terming J&K issue as political one, he asserted the Kashmir is not a political matter for the BJP, but a goal to keep India united. Referring to the unfinished business of integration of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Shah remarked that PoK would not have come into existence had late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru not untimely declared ceasefire at a time when the Indian Army had almost pushed Pakistani army and tribesmen back across the international border.
Lauding the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in ensuring accession of 629 princely state’s into the Indian union, Shah stated that Nehru kept the integration of J&K with himself. The Union Home Minister argued that had the then government of Nehru referred the matter before the UN under charter 51 (non-dispute), instead of under charter 35, Kashmir would never have become a dispute. He added that had Sardar Patel, instead of Nehru had handled the Kashmir issue, there would have been no Kashmir issue at all. The Union Home Minister argued that not a single bullet has been fired or anyone being killed in J&K since the removal of Article 370 on August 5 and 6. Shah further asserted that terrorism in J&K will be finished very soon.
He charged the Congress and NCP for shamelessly opposing the abrogation of Article 370 for furthering and protecting the interests of the three dynasties that ruled Kashmir. Referring to the lack of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in J&K, he said that the three families that did not allow the ACB to be set up are now beginning to feel the heat as investigations into siphoning of funds meant for people of Kashmir begins. Referring to the siphoning of Rs 2,27,000 crore funds meant for J&K, he said that had the funds reached the people, today they would have had gold sheet roofs over their heads.
