Home Minister Amit Shah, during his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, took a firm stand against any possibility of restoring autonomy to the region, signaling the BJP's stance ahead of the assembly elections.
Shah, addressing BJP workers in Jammu's Palauru, stated, "They want to give autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. I want to make it clear that there can never be autonomy." His remarks underscore the BJP’s stance that the changes made in 2019 are irreversible and part of the government's broader plan for the region's governance and security.
He also urged opposition leaders to stop misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir, saying, “Stop fooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have committed that, at an appropriate time after the elections, statehood will be restored. We have said this in Parliament.” He also called on Rahul Gandhi to end the misinformation campaign, stating, "Rahul Gandhi should stop misleading the people of J&K."
He accused the Congress-National Conference alliance of attempting to revive the "old system" and stated that the NDA government will not permit the resurgence of terrorism, "autonomy," or injustice towards any community, including Gujjars, Pahari, Bakerwals, and Dalits, who were granted reservations by the BJP administration.
"The NDA government will not allow the revival of terrorism, "autonomy", and injustice with any community including Gujjars, Pahari, Bakerwals and Dalits who were granted reservation by the BJP dispensation", noted the minister.
Shah also said, "The National Conference and the Congress will never be able to form a government in J-K, be confident about it", taking a dig at the Opposition.
The Union minister's remarks were aimed at parties like the National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP), which have advocated for the restoration of Article 370 and autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. He categorically stated that Article 370, which granted special status to the region, "is history" and will never return.
Shah highlighted the historic nature of the upcoming election. For the first time, he noted, voters would cast their ballots under one Tricolour and one Constitution, following the abrogation of Article 370, which had previously granted special status to the region.
He noted, "The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir are historic because, for the first time since Independence, they will be held under our national flag and Constitution, as opposed to the previous practice of two flags and two constitutions. We now have only one Prime Minister from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and that is Modi".
During his address on September 6, Shah highlighted the significant reduction in terror-related activities and stone-pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade. At a press conference, where he unveiled the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Home Minister also challenged Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi regarding his party's alliance with the National Conference (NC). Shah urged voters to support the BJP to ensure continued good governance and further development in the region.
He further affirmed the BJP's commitment to ensuring that reservation policies benefiting various communities like Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Pahadis would remain intact.
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