Neither Congress leader Rahul Gandhi nor his future generations will be able to bring back Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
Speaking at a campaign rally for the assembly elections in western Maharashtra's Sangli, he targeted Congress for `supporting' the National Conference in its endeavour to restore Article 370.
The assembly of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking restoration of the special status.
Addressing the rally for ruling Mahayuti alliance candidates Sudhir Gadgil and Sanjay Kaka Patil here, the BJP leader said opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had opposed the scrapping of Article 370.
"From this land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I am telling you Rahul baba that neither you nor your fourth generation will be able to restore Article 370. Every child of the country is ready to fight for Kashmir," Shah said.
"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to abrogate Article 370, I brought the bill (in Parliament) but Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and (M K) Stalin opposed the move. They said do not remove Article 370 as it would lead to bloodshed in the Valley. Forget rivers of blood, nobody dared to throw a stone," he said.
During the "UPA government of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh," terrorist attacks were frequent, but after Modi became PM, the incidents at Uri and Pulwama led to surgical strikes that wiped out terrorists in Pakistan, Shah said.
Modi's efforts led to the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya which was being stalled by the Congress for the past 70 years, he said.
"After Modi came to power, in five years the court's judgement came, the temple's foundation stone was laid, it was constructed and the consecration ceremony took place," he said.
Attacking Rahul Gandhi for showing a copy of the Constitution at his rallies, Shah said the Constitution is not meant for pushing election agenda.
"The Constitution is about trust, but these people are seeking votes in the name of the Constitution and bluffing. Today, in one of the poll rallies, copies of the Constitution were distributed. The front cover was okay but inside pages were blank. Not a single word was printed on them. Gandhi has insulted the Constitution, insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar and people of India," Shah said.
Gandhi should tell the people whether the copy of the Constitution he held while taking oath as an MP in Parliament was real or fake, Shah further said.
"Gandhi recently said the country does not need reservations. But as long as the Modi government is in power, no one has the guts to touch the Constitution. Reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs will remain the way it always was," Shah asserted.
In a swipe at the NCP (SP) chief, Shah said Sharad Pawar did not visit Ayodhya after the Ram temple was built as he was more worried about his vote bank.
At another rally at Ichalkaranji in neighbouring Kolhapur district, Shah said the assembly elections will decide "whether the state will move on the path shown by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or the path shown by (Mughal emperor) Aurangzeb." "You will have to decide whether to go with those who compared Sanatan dharma to dengue and malaria, or those who are standing strong in support of Sanatan dharma….whether you want to go with those who denied the existence of Lord Ram or those who worked to build the Ram Mandir," the Union home minister said.
Some constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance opposed the decision to rename Aurangabad in Maharashtra as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he said.
On one side there was Modi who is known for development and on the other side there are Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar who believe in creating divisions, Shah said.
"On one side, development is discussed, on the other side, caste is discussed. On one side, the nation's progress and making it the third largest economy in the world is discussed but on the other side, progress of three families is being discussed," the BJP leader further said.
Uddhav Thackeray who talks about Balasaheb Thackeray's principles opposed the decision to rename Aurangabad, he alleged.
Thackeray was now hobnobbing with those who are opposing the Waqf (Amendment ) Bill, Shah claimed.
"Recently, whole villages were declared as Waqf Board properties in Karnataka. Tell me, should we not amend the Waqf Act?" he said.
He also referred to Congress veteran and former home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's statement that he used to feel scared while visiting the Lal Chowk in Srinagar. "I would like to tell him, take your grandchildren to Kashmir, nothing will happen," Shah said.
Rahul Gandhi now rides motorcycle in Kashmir and plays snowball with his sister because of the abrogation of Article 370, he said.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
